Let My Love Open the Door
by Epeefencer
Summary: AU. A Harry never went to Hogwarts story. Harry, reclusive, damaged and lonely. Ginny, vivacious, independent, looking for Love. What happens when they meet when Ginny is asked to go get Harry to come to Ron's and Hermione's wedding? Will Harry accept what Ginny is offering or will he reject her and continue down a dark lonely path?
1. Chapter 1

1

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 1**

Ginny Weasley stood and watched as her brother, Ron and his fiancée, Hermione Granger, had an argument. That in of itself wasn't an unusual occurrence, hell at one point they seemed to be an hourly thing. One of their friends, Neville Longbottom, swore you could set your watch by them.

That was back before they got together as a couple, instead being just 'friends', though to Ginny it had been painfully obvious that they'd been arse over kettle for one another since at least their second year.

Thinking of their second year made her remember that it had been her first and potentially last, at doing anything. It had been a disaster to put it mildly.

Someone had slipped an enchanted diary in with her school books and without realizing what it was, she had started writing in it. To her amazement, it had written back.

Little did she know at that point that it had been an actual piece of Lord Voldemort's soul. It had slowly ingrained itself into her confidence until it was too late. By the time she had realized what was happening the fragment of Voldemort's soul had enough control over her to keep her from saying anything.

Much of how she ended up being saved was still a mystery to her, though she knew a lot more than she let on.

She had memories of a small boy with raven black hair and startling emerald eyes saving her. She had seen the carcass of the dead Basilisk and the bloody sword he had been holding when she had awoken.

How Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, had healed the boy, crying into his wound to neutralize the venom that was killing him.

It was right after that that things became hazy. She had been somewhat disoriented by what had happened to her and had lain back down. She smiled subconsciously at how the boy had taken care of her, resting her head in his lap, telling her everything was going to be okay.

She vaguely remembered Fawkes flashing away but returning quickly with the Headmaster. The next thing she knew she was waking up in the Hospital Wing with her parents by her side. There had been no sign of the boy that had saved her. Feeling something was amiss, she had never mentioned him to anyone.

To this very day, she wished she knew more about him, who he was and what he had been doing. Why had he saved her and then disappeared like he had never been there.

She was snapped out of her reminiscing by Ron finally saying hotly, "Fine, send Ginny if you want too. Let it be on your head," before he stomped angrily away, leaving his fiancée watching him go with a frown on her face.

Ginny waited patiently for Hermione to collect herself before she came over. With a sigh she looked at Ginny. "Unfortunately we don't have anyone else to go and make sure that Harry comes to the wedding. Will you please do that for me?" the bushy haired girl asked.

Ginny eyed the girl closely. She had often wondered what was so special about this Harry that Ron and Hermione mentioned on occasion. Never going into any details at all about the enigmatic man.

All she knew for certain was they knew him from the War but nothing else really. She couldn't understand the secrecy that was wrapped around him. If it had been one of the Twins, she would have doubted his existence but she didn't worry about that with Ron and Hermione, especially Hermione. She'd never dream of pulling a prank like that.

"Whatever," Ginny replied nonchalantly, though on the inside she was quite intrigued, excited to be actually going to meet this mysterious "Harry".

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Ginny was the perfect one to go and fetch Harry as she was quite determined and wouldn't let anything that Harry said deter her from her task.

Ginny did harbour a feeling deep down that she knew or at least suspected who Harry was though she had never let on to that fact. If she was correct, this mysterious Harry was none other than Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, the Saviour of the Wizarding World, Defeater of Voldemort and at least half a dozen other monikers that he had been given.

She knew that Hermione, and through her, her brother Ron had been somehow involved in bringing about the defeat of Voldemort, working with Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Though once again, it was all very hush-hush, something that no one talked about.

That's not to say that Ginny hadn't done her part during the war. She had remained at Hogwarts and worked against the Death Eaters who had taken control of the school that final year.

She had helped form and led the student group that became known as Dumbledore's Army. The DA for short, had resisted as best they could within the walls of Hogwarts.

Ginny gave a shudder at the memories of the punishments she and the other members had endured and though the physical scars had faded away, the mental ones still gave her nightmares on occasion, though not nearly as often any more.

Driving those melancholy thoughts from her mind, she went back to helping Hermione plan the final arrangements for the wedding.

 **Harry and Ginny**

It was the night before the wedding and Ginny had finally managed to make it to her room. She quickly changed and flopped into bed. Though she felt exhausted, she knew that sleep wouldn't be coming any time soon. Her mind was just too active for that to happen.

She smiled ruefully at the memories of the rehearsal and following dinner. Ron had moaned and complained the whole time during the rehearsal, saying how hungry he was. She was really surprised that Hermione hadn't hexed him right in front of everyone.

Luckily the rehearsal hadn't taken that long and Ron shut up when they sat down to the scrumptious dinner their mum had prepared. At least he'd finally learned to not talk with his mouth full and thankfully he had kept it stuffed the whole time, much to hers and everyone's relief.

Her thoughts then turned to her assigned task for the following day. Fetching Harry to the wedding. Not that she minded really, she was actually looking forward to finally meeting this mysterious Harry.

Though she did wonder how things would go. She had overheard Ron talking to Hermione and what she had heard made her pause, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

According to Ron, Harry was a recluse, a drunken one at that, claiming every time he had seen him he had been unkempt and reeking of Firewhisky. If that was the case, why were they so insistent that he attend the wedding?

Ginny didn't know or really care. It wasn't her decision to make and she'd just do her best to make sure he attended, it seemed quite important to Hermione. She had on more than one occasion mentioned that Harry was like a brother to her and insisted that he be there.

Sleep finally over came her and she dreamed of being in the Chamber again, though this time it was different from all her previous dreams, nightmares really, of that incident.

Though there was the horror of her being taken down into the Chamber and the appearance of Tom, her dream focused on the young boy who had saved her. The way he had looked at her with his startling emerald eyes, the compassion and worry she had seen in them.

When she awoke the next morning, it was with a small smile on her face and she knew it was because of her dream. Sighing she got up and prepared herself for the trying day she knew she was going to be having. If Hermione was anything, she was a stickler for details and woe to him or her who messed with her perfectly laid plans.

She dressed casually, not wanting to put on her dress until it was almost time for the wedding. She certainly didn't want to floo wearing it.

Hermione had given her Harry's floo address just the night before and it had confirmed to her who Harry really was. The address was Potter Manor.

Ron had made some snide comment about how rich Harry was and how opulent the manor must be, though no one had actually been there.

Hermione had stressed that Ginny needed to floo there precisely at one o'clock as that was when she'd be allowed access to Harry's home. She explained that he normally kept his floo blocked off, not allowing anyone through.

Ginny didn't care, though she was from a humble background, she didn't begrudge anyone what they had, as long as they weren't like the Malfoys and throw it in your face, that was.

After a quick breakfast in the chaos that reigned in the Burrow, she helped with the last minute details that needed to be taken care of before she would need to go and get Harry.

Ginny was both glad and annoyed that the wedding would take place late in the afternoon. Glad because things weren't so hectic because they had time to get things done and annoyed because it seemed like the time would never come to get the damn wedding over with.

As much as she loved her future sister-in-law, she was really starting to have her patience tested by the way the girl was acting. If Ginny had a list shoved under her nose one more time, she wasn't going to he responsible for her reaction. Bat-bogies just might fly.

Finally, virtually everything on Hermione's endless lists was checked off and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Though sorely tempted she had managed not to hex the bride-to-be.

All she had to do was go fetch Harry and then change into her dress robes for the wedding.

At precisely as the clock began to strike the hour, Ginny threw the floo powder into the grate and with a whoosh of green flames she said firmly "Potter Manor" and was gone.

Ginny stepped deftly out of the fireplace and took a look around. Far from being some opulent manor, she found herself in a small, nicely appointed parlour.

She was startled by a croaking voice. "Welcome, I will tell Master Harry you are here."

She looked at the ancient house elf standing before her. He looked vaguely familiar and it took several moments for her to put the pieces together. "Hello, Kreacher," she said warmly.

The old house elf smiled at her. "Miss remembers Kreacher," he said with a small bow.

The were interrupted by the appearance of another house elf. "Kreacher, hows many times will it take before you's remember that Master doesn't like to be called Master?" the diminutive elf scolded.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the elf, calling Harry Master while chiding Kreacher for doing the same thing.

"Perhaps a few more, Winky," Kreacher teased with a smile.

Ginny was gobsmacked at the difference in Kreacher. She had gotten to know him a little when they had spent one summer at Grimmauld Place and then he'd been a surly, combative and very unhelpful elf. To see him now, all cleaned up, wearing a type of uniform and being playful, was a lot to take in.

Before Kreacher could depart, Ginny heard someone enter the parlour. Turning she looked at the young man before her. Though he did look a bit unkempt, he certainly didn't appear to be drunk.

He was holding a book in one hand while he looked at Ginny. "It's that time then?" he said lowly.

Ginny felt an underlying sense of melancholy in his question and she wondered why. "Yes it is," she replied with what she hoped was a friendly smile.

Harry sighed. "I guess I'd best get changed then," he said offhandedly. "Winky, please get Miss Weasley some tea while I go get ready."

Ginny was about to say that wasn't necessary but before she could, Winky was gone and so was Harry.

Kreacher motioned for her to sit down and seeing nothing else to do, she took a seat on the couch.

"How are you doing?" Ginny asked.

Kreacher smiled at her. "Kreacher is doing well," he replied, genuinely pleased that she had asked. He then sighed, "Taking care of Master Harry is difficult but we's manage," he added looking sad.

Ginny looked around once again and couldn't stifle a small giggle. When Kreacher looked at her questioningly, she said, "This certainly isn't what I expected when I flooed to Potter Manor."

Kreacher smiled back at her. "Master Harry thought it was quite funny. After several articles in the Daily Prophet that said how rich he was and speculated on where he lived, he changed the floo address."

Winky returned with a tray bearing a teapot, a cup and saucer and a plate of biscuits. "I's hoping it is to your liking," she said shyly. "We's have so few visitors."

After Winky left and Ginny was sipping her tea, she looked at Kreacher. "Is Harry okay?" she asked, not being able to help herself.

Kreacher looked at her sadly. "Master Harry suffers because of all he's been through. Most nights he is awoken by nightmares but he refuses to seek help. Winky and I have tried to get him to seek help but he refuses."

Kreacher then looked at her imploringly. "Please don't tell Master Harry that I have said anything. He will be most angry that I have broken confidence but Kreacher feels it is necessary."

Ginny nodded, her heart breaking for the one who had given so much. She knew that since the war, the press hadn't been particularly kind to Harry. Sure he was the one who defeated Voldemort, but as time went on and he refused to give any interviews, they had turned on him with a vengeance.

She was just musing on that when she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Turning she saw Harry standing in the doorway, looking rather embarrassed.

"Do I look okay?" he asked uncertainly.

Ginny looked him over head to toe. He had certainly cleaned up nicely. Gone was the several days of stubble that had graced his cheeks, though she almost laughed when she looked at his hair.

She could tell he had showered as his hair was still damp but it had done nothing to tame its wildness. It stuck up at all angles.

Harry must have noticed where she was looking because he blushed and ran his hand through his hair in a vain attempt to force it into some semblance of order.

"Sorry, it never will lay flat," he said apologetically.

Ginny couldn't help but smile. Harry was nothing like she had expected from hearing her brother talk about him. Far from being arrogant and stand-offish, he was a shy, somewhat insecure, young man.

"On you, it works," she said softly.

She rose and went over to him, inspecting his robes closely. They were made of the finest Acromantula silk, a deep emerald green. She looked up and found herself staring into his eyes.

Suddenly it was as if she had been struck in the gut with a Bludger. His eyes! She knew those eyes! The image of staring into those same eyes in the Chamber of Secrets jumped into the front of her mind.

She felt light headed and probably would have fallen if Harry hadn't grabbed on to her. He looked at her with the same look of concern she had seen when she had looked into them down in the Chamber.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

It took a moment but Ginny finally nodded. " _Not a great idea,_ " she thought as her head spun again.

Harry led her over to the couch and had her sit down.

Sitting down had done wonders for her spinning head. She looked at him in wonder. "It was you," she said awe-struck at the revelation.

Harry blushed slightly and nodded his head, somehow knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

Harry's mind was in turmoil. There were huge cracks appearing in the walls he had erected inside of himself. Though still quite young, he had long ago given up on the idea of ever having someone in his life.

Part of that was due to how he had been raised by his so called family. Though related by blood, there was never any love shared. He had been despised and hated his whole childhood.

The other part was how the majority of the Wizarding World treated him. Constantly being first their Saviour and then vilified for something or other.

Ginny noticed the change in Harry's demeanour and wondered what he was thinking. She wished that she had time to explore that further but knew that they needed to be getting back to the Burrow so that she could finish getting ready for the wedding. It wouldn't do if the Maid of Honour wasn't there on time and ready.

"We really should be going," she reluctantly said softly.

Harry gave her a wan smile. "Yeah, we should," he agreed. Inside he was relieved. He knew if Ginny had pressed him at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to deny her.

At least now he was able to reinforce the walls around his emotions even if it was a false facade.

Schooling his features, he stood and offered his hand to Ginny. As he helped her rise, he said "If you hold on to me, I'll Apparate us to the Burrow."

Ginny was astonished at the change, he was now quite cool to her and for a moment was very annoyed. Then it hit her and she understood what he was doing. She really, really wished she had time now to talk to him but she knew she'd have to wait.

"I didn't know you've been to the Burrow," she said in surprise.

Harry just shrugged. "I haven't," he replied, once again sounding cold and distant.

When Ginny looked at him questioningly, he locked eyes with her for a moment and suddenly an image of the Burrow flashed through her mind. She recognized it as one of her own from just a few days ago when she had returned home after doing some last minute shopping.

Ginny was astounded. Because of everything she had been through she had become rather proficient at Occlumency. While she knew she wasn't a master of the art, she was good enough that she should have at least felt it when he looked into her mind.

Once again she found herself torn between being annoyed and impressed. Annoyed because without a by your leave, he had casually taken the memory from her and impressed because of the ease of which he had done it.

Before she knew it, she felt the squeezing of her body as she was side-along Apparated.

When she felt herself become normal again she turned angrily towards Harry. "You could have at least warned me," she said hotly. "I could have splinched myself!"

Harry just looked at her stoically. "I wouldn't have let that happen," he said simply.

Ginny's fire died down significantly and not for the first time she wondered just how powerful he really was.

Ginny took a deep calming breath, knowing that this wasn't the time nor the place to get into it with him; as infuriating as he could be she'd only just met him.

Then she thought about what she had seen at "Potter Manor" of how he had reacted and the pain and sorrow she had seen in his eyes before he walled himself off. She knew there was more to one Harry James Potter than met the eye. She just hoped she got a chance to discover a lot of it.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just wasn't prepared to be suddenly Apparated away without warning," she said conciliatorily.

Harry just gave her a little nod.

Ginny sighed, slightly frustrated. "Well, I need to go and get ready," she said as she turned towards the back door. "I'll see you later." And then with a small smile she said "Please save a dance for me."

Ginny watched as he looked at her, his face an unreadable mask. "Perhaps," he finally said, just when Ginny was wondering if he was going to answer her or not.

With a shrug, Ginny headed inside to get changed.

She was just finishing adjusting her dress when Hermione charged into the room, without so much as a knock or any other warning. Thank God she was fully clothed as she saw her brothers standing out on the landing. Well except for Ron. There was no way that Hermione would let him see her before she was walking down the aisle.

"Did you get Harry here alright? What took you so long?" Hermione asked in a rush.

"Yes, I got Harry here just fine and it took a while because he wasn't quite ready when I got there," Ginny replied, stretching the truth a bit.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and left to finish getting ready.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry watched Ginny leave, wondering what the hell he was doing here. He only came because it seemed so important to Hermione though he knew he'd barely get to spend any time with her. After all it was her wedding and she'd be a bit preoccupied.

Ginny's request to save a dance for her made him think about that possibility. He supposed he'd have to dance with the bride and if he did, he figured he might as well dance with Ginny too. Not that he was looking forward to doing either.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to dance. His godfather, Sirius Black had taught him how, having him practice with his cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, or Tonks as she preferred to be called.

Harry quickly squelched those thoughts. They were straying much too close to things that he didn't want to think about because of the pain it brought.

Both had died during the war, along with his other pseudo Uncle, Remus Lupin. That made him think of Remus' and Tonks' little boy, Teddy and he wondered how he was doing.

It seemed he was turning out to be just as bad a godfather as Sirius had been. Shaking himself mentally, he knew he needed to find something to distract himself before he became too melancholy and Apparated away before the wedding even took place.

Seeing the large marque tent set up behind the Burrow, he headed that way. If nothing else he could claim a chair in the back, away from where all the attention would be focused.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny had just gotten downstairs, hoping to get something to drink before she had to join those going out back and line up for the processional, when she was cornered by Ron.

"So how was Potter Manor?" he asked with a frown.

Knowing what he thought, Ginny couldn't help but take the mickey out on him. "You wouldn't believe it," she said with a smile.

"I knew it!" Ron exclaimed derisively. "I bet you arrived in some grand entrance hall, didn't you?"

"No. I arrived in a much smaller room, though I was greeted by a house elf," Ginny replied, the image of Harry's small parlour flashing through her mind.

"I wonder how many elves he has to keep up a grand Manor like that," Ron said with a frown.

"I don't know. I only met two," Ginny said fighting a smirk.

"If you saw two, he must have dozens," Ron said snidely. "It would take that many to keep a manor like that running."

Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes at her brother. If he only knew the truth about where Harry lived, he'd be singing a different tune but she knew it wasn't her place to set him straight.

"Hadn't you better . . ." she began, but then was cut off.

"There you are. We'd better get out back or Hermione will skin us alive," her brother Charlie said.

Ginny sighed in relief. Though she knew she wouldn't have given anything away, she was getting a bit put out with Ron's attitude concerning Harry.

Charlie was Ron's Best Man, being his closest brother. Their love of Quidditch being the cement that held them together.

Before she knew it, Ginny was standing at the back of the marque getting ready to walk down the aisle. To her surprise she saw Harry sitting in the very back row all by himself.

They locked eyes and Ginny gave him a warm smile and though he smiled back, she could see it looked a bit forced. She really hoped that he'd dance with her. For some reason she felt herself drawn to the mysterious, enigmatic wizard.

Sure she had dated some during her years at school but never seriously. She had never felt a deep connection to any of them and she knew she was looking for something more in a relationship than any of them had to offer.

It took Hermione clearing her throat behind her to bring Ginny back from her musing and she made her way down the aisle. Once up front, she turned her attention back to Harry sitting in the back.

He had a strange look on his face that she had a hard time interpreting. Along with a deep sense of sadness she thought she saw a sense of longing in his eyes.

Then it was gone in a flash and she realized that he had seen her looking at him. His face now looked like it was made out of stone with no emotions showing at all.

Ginny became aware that the music had just ended and Hermione's father was giving her away. She was glad she had noticed because she had to take the Bride's bouquet and she didn't even want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't been paying attention to complete that task.

Though she kept her attention mainly on the proceedings, giving Hermione Ron's ring at the right moment and taking care of her train several times as Hermione knelt and stood, Ginny kept glancing at Harry every now and then.

As before there were several unguarded moments when Harry's face displayed his emotions though they usually didn't last long. Every time she saw him like that, it tugged at Ginny's heart.

Sure when she was younger she'd had a crush on The-Boy-Who-Lived. She was sure that every witch close to her age had and probably quite a few much older ones did as well. But she had outgrown the crush once she got older and started dating.

Before she knew it, the ceremony was over and Ginny found herself marching quickly down the aisle, barely noticing Charlie by her side, her focus on watching Harry.

As with the ceremony, the festivities that took up the start of the reception were a vague blur to Ginny. She hardly heard Charlie's best man speech and cut her own quite short, just giving a small toast to the happy couple.

It seemed in no time at all the meal was eaten and the first dances were underway. She sat fidgeting while Ron and Hermione had their first dance as husband and wife and the prerequisite dances with the parents took place. She danced her required dance with Charlie with the rest of the wedding party.

She wasn't surprised that Harry was the first one to dance with Hermione when she began to dance with others and she quickly angled towards him when the song was over.

"How about that dance now?" she asked with a smile as she caught up with him.

Harry sighed but then gave her a small smile and offered her his hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

Ginny was pleasantly surprised at how well he danced and couldn't help herself. "You dance very well," she said with a smile.

"My godfather, Sirius taught me," he replied lowly.

Ginny immediately regretted bringing it up. The pain she saw in his eyes when he mentioned Sirius made her heart clench. They remained silent for the rest of the dance.

As the music ended, Ginny stayed by Harry's side, going so far as to politely decline one of Hermione's cousins when he asked her to dance. Ginny was sure that Harry would have slipped away but she kept a firm hold onto his arm, preventing him from leaving.

She noticed him staring at her, a thoughtful look on his stoic face. "Fancy getting something to drink?" she asked, hoping that she could stay with him.

Harry gave her a curt nod. "Okay," he said evenly, though Ginny could see a touch of apprehension in his eyes.

Ginny steered Harry over to the bar in one of the back corners. It was staffed by one of the waiters who had served dinner. Ginny wasn't quite sure how Hermione had managed it, but she had convinced the Weasley matriarch to let the reception be catered, though Molly had insisted on making the wedding cake.

"Two Firewhiskys," Ginny said before Harry had a chance to open his mouth.

Quickly, two large snifters appeared, each filled with a copious amount of the dark amber liquid.

Ginny immediately grabbed one while Harry reached for the other much more slowly, a dubious look on his face.

"What's the matter?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Firewhisky and I don't get along," Harry muttered lowly.

Ginny eyed him contemplatively. She was sure that the rumours of his drunkenness were greatly exaggerated but she wondered if there wasn't some history behind them.

She led him over to one of the other back corners, away from the crowd. They sat at a small table, side-by-side so they could face the rest of the tent and its occupants.

"To the Happy Couple," Ginny said, raising her glass and clinking it against Harry's.

"The Happy Couple," Harry said, though to Ginny it sounded a bit forced and was touched with sadness.

Ginny took a healthy gulp of her Firewhisky while Harry took a much smaller sip.

She watched him closely for several moments. He was staring at his drink, swirling it absentmindedly, lost in his own thoughts. Ginny could see that underlying sense of melancholy that he showed in unguarded moments.

Ginny began to speak. First about mostly small inane things. She could be quite the chatterbox once she got going, just ask any of her brothers and they'd be the first to confirm it.

At first Harry listened with an air of detachment but as she began to tell stories of growing up with six brothers, he paid much closer attention.

Ginny was taken by the look of longing that enveloped him as he hung on her every word.

All during her discourse they sipped at their drinks, Harry much more absentmindedly than Ginny. As she got to the bottom of her glass, she felt the warm glow that the amber liquid provided.

She was far from being in her cups but she noticed that even though Harry had consumed a great deal less than she had, he looked quite inebriated. His eyes had taken on a glassy look and he was slurring the few words that he said in response to her questions.

She also noted that he had dropped the stony facade and was smiling at her, though there was still that touch of sadness in his eyes.

Suddenly Harry sat up straighter, looking around with a panicked look on his face. "Shou be goin," he slurred.

He tried to stand, knocking over his glass and spilling the remainder of his Firewhisky.

Ginny was instantly on her feet, grabbing him around the waist, steadying him. "Come on, I'll see you home," she said softly.

"No need, I'll jus Appar . . . Appartate," he said as he swayed in her grasp.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "There is no way I'm letting you Apparate in your condition," she said firmly.

Harry looked like he was gong to protest but then gave her a small acquiescing nod.

Ginny was glad that no one noticed as she led Harry towards the Burrow so she could floo him home. Ron especially would have thrown a wobbly at seeing Harry so drunk.

It took a bit of doing as Harry could hardly put one foot in front of the other but eventually Ginny got him inside and flooed him back to his home.

Ginny stumbled exiting the floo, fighting to keep Harry standing. Before she could take a step, Kreacher appeared before them, looking at Harry sadly.

"Master knows he shouldn't be drinking Firewhisky," he said lowly.

"That's my fault," Ginny interjected.

Kreacher gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure Miss didn't force it down his throat."

"Still, I feel partly responsible," Ginny replied, feeling bad at how she had automatically ordered the Firewhisky for the two of them.

"Miss is not responsible for Master Harry's actions," Kreacher responded.

Ginny cut off her reply, knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with the elf.

With Kreacher's assistance they got Harry over to the couch. He flopped down onto his side and was asleep or passed out within moments.

Ginny was staring down at Harry, thinking that he really shouldn't be laying there in his robes when Kreacher solved that problem. With a snap of his fingers, Harry's robes disappeared, leaving him in his black trousers and white shirt.

Kreacher tenderly took off Harry's glasses and set them on the table next to the couch.

Ginny was just about to head back home when Kreacher looked at her. "Would Miss Ginny like to join Kreacher for a cup of tea in the kitchen?" the elf pleaded.

There was something about the way he asked that struck Ginny deeply. "I'd like that very much," she replied with a small smile.

In no time at all they were seated at the kitchen table. Ginny looked around, taking in the small cosy room. Though smaller, it did remind her of the Burrow's.

As Kreacher poured the tea, Ginny asked, "Where is Winky?"

Kreacher got an apologetic look on his face. "Winky does not approve of what Kreacher is doing," he replied, looking quite contrite.

"And just what are you doing?" Ginny inquired curiously.

"Kreacher is trying to help Master Harry," he replied cautiously.

"Where do I come into this?" she asked, though she was fairly certain what the reply would be.

"Master Harry needs Miss Ginny though he doesn't yet realize it," Kreacher replied hesitantly. It was like he was revealing some great secret or confidence and knew he shouldn't be.

Ginny took a sip of her tea to give her some time to contemplate what Kreacher had said. She did feel a kind of pull or something with Harry. Sure there was a component of sympathy for him, but it was more than that. She was also certain that she didn't pity him in the slightest.

She could sense his great loneliness and all that implied. She knew as well as anyone the public's perception of him but the more she got to know and the more time she spent with him, as little as that had been up to now, she was sure that it didn't come close to the real Harry Potter.

Ginny smiled at Kreacher. "So what are we going to do?" she asked a bit mischievously.

Kreacher smiled back, his look mirroring Ginny's. "Master has neglected to have Kreacher remove Miss Ginny from the floo access list."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow at the elf with a smirk on her lips. "Won't that make Harry mad?"

"Kreacher is willing to risk Master Harry's anger because Kreacher knows he is doing the right thing."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully, admiring Kreacher's devotion to Harry. He obviously was worried enough to risk Harry's anger to help him.

Seeing what she considered a problem she said "I can see that working once, but won't he remove me after I show up here the first time?"

Kreacher stared directly into Ginny's eyes. "Kreacher is willing to risk much to make sure that Miss Ginny will continue to have access to Master Harry's home."

Ginny was astounded by Kreacher's revelation. That he would admit to be willing to go against his master's wishes was virtually unheard of. As she contemplated that implication, Kreacher answered her unasked question.

"Master Harry stands at a crossroads. One path leads to despair and ultimately Master Harry's death. The other leads to a much happier life," he said seriously.

Even with the little she knew about Harry's life, she could see the truth in what Kreacher said.

"I'll do all I can," Ginny replied emotionally, her eyes misting.

"That's all Kreacher asks," he replied gratefully.

Just then they heard a loud moan from the parlour. In an instant, Kreacher was on his feet running towards the source of the moan with Ginny following right behind.

They found Harry thrashing around on the couch, his face contorted in pain. Kreacher stopped just inside the parlour but Ginny brushed past him and went to Harry. She knelt beside him and gently began to run her fingers through his hair.

Kreacher was surprised at how quickly Harry settled back down into a calm sleep. The only thing that either he or Winky had been able to manage was to awaken him and that usually was difficult to accomplish. On top of that once awoken he never managed to fall back asleep.

By the time he was resting peacefully again, Ginny had tears in her eyes. "Do you know what his nightmares are about?" she asked quietly, so not to disturb Harry's slumber.

"Master Harry has never told Kreacher directly what his nightmares are about but Kreacher has learned about them," the old elf said sadly. "Master Harry lost many loved ones during the War and often dreams about their deaths. Master Harry also had a connection to the Evil Wizard that killed so many and experienced many visions of his foul deeds."

Ginny looked at Harry's sleeping form. "Will he be okay for the rest of the night?" she asked worriedly.

"Kreacher does not know, Miss," he replied.

When Ginny looked at him in surprise, he added, "Kreacher has never seen Master Harry fall back into a peaceful sleep. He either spends the night tossing and turning or awakens and is unable to return to sleep."

She then took a close look at the elf and saw how tired he looked. "Kreacher, why don't you head to bed, I'll stay and keep a watch on Master Harry," she said tiredly.

" _Master Harry? Where the hell did that come from?"_ she asked herself.

Unseen by her, Kreacher's lips curled up in the barest of smiles. "As Miss wishes," he said with a bow before leaving Ginny alone with Harry.

Ginny took a good look around and took stock of the situation. While Harry was laying full out on the couch, it couldn't be the most comfortable of places, plus she wasn't going to sleep on the floor, no matter how much Harry seemed to need her.

She pulled her wand and gently levitated Harry and she headed through the doorway he had appeared in when he had gone and got changed. She figured his bedroom had to be back there somewhere.

The first room she came across turned out to be an office so she kept right on going. Right past it on the opposite side of the hall was a loo with a tub and shower, so she figured there had to be at least one guest room somewhere.

The room further down the hall appeared to be it but it was just filled with piles of boxes and spare pieces of furniture.

There was one final door towards the end of the hall and Ginny figured it had to be Harry's. She tripped but caught herself as she entered the darkened room, causing her to curse softly.

There was just enough light for her to make out various shapes in the room so she directed Harry's body over onto the bed shaped one. Once he was safely in place she lit her wand.

She shook her head wearily. To say the room was a mess would be like saying a blizzard was a little snow. Things were strewn everywhere. There were clothes scattered across the floor and on almost every flat surface, some dirty and some obviously clean.

She glanced at the doorway and saw a pair of heavy combat type boots that must have been what she tripped over.

Shaking her head once more she lit one of the lamps on his dresser before she set to work. With one wave of her wand, she sent all the dirty laundry to the laundry room, or at least she hoped she did. She wasn't quite sure where it was but in most Wizarding households it was located off the kitchen so she felt she was pretty safe.

She also hung up much of the clean clothes in his closet and sent his boots and shoes walking into its bottom. Lastly she cast a few cleaning spells to dispense with any remaining dust and debris that was on the furniture and floor.

With a satisfying nod she turned her attention back to Harry who hadn't moved from where she had placed him. She took one look at him and decided he couldn't comfortable wearing his button down shirt and trousers.

With a little help from magic, she striped him down to his boxers. Growing up with six brothers had long ago banished any problems she'd had with modesty. It wasn't like he was starkers or anything.

With one last levitation spell she got Harry situated in bed, covering him with just the sheet. At least the linens looked to have been freshly changed.

She grabbed a tee shirt and a pair of boxers from the pile of clean laundry and headed into the attached loo. She found it surprisingly clean, after the state of the bedroom she'd been a bit afraid of what she'd find.

After using the loo, she quickly undressed, hanging her dress on a hanger that hung on the back of the door. She sighed in relief as she took off her bra. With the strapless dress she'd had to buy one that supported her without any straps. It was magically enhanced to stay in place but it wasn't all that comfortable.

After she washed her face to remove the little make-up she wore, she put on the tee shirt, removed her knickers and put on the pair of boxers.

She rinsed her mouth out, wishing she had a toothbrush. There was only one in the holder, obviously Harry's and she wasn't going to presume to use it. She hardly knew the man.

She then gave a soft giggle, she wouldn't use his toothbrush but she was planning on sleeping next to him in case he needed more comforting during the night.

Yawning tiredly, she grabbed her clothing and headed back into the bedroom, planning on casting a few refreshing charms before she got dressed in the morning. She draped the dress over a chair near the bed before placing the rest of her clothing on it.

She smiled when she looked at the bed closely. It was a Queen size. She had figured that as a bachelor he'd have had a King sized one like all her brothers first had when they'd moved out on their own.

Shaking her head to drive the inane thought from it, she climbed into bed next to Harry, not that she was all that close to him in the big bed. She took a good look at him before she she laid down completely.

He hadn't moved while she had been changing. He was snoring softly, something she found a little amusing after listening to her brothers' loud noises while they slept while growing up at the Burrow. She found it a pleasant change.

With her wand she dimmed the light, leaving it on just enough for her to see if she needed to during the night.

Unconsciously, she leaned over and gave Harry a short kiss, just barely brushing his lips with hers, before whispering "Good night."

Once her head hit the pillow she was asleep in moments.

An indeterminate time later, she was awoken by Harry's muttering in his sleep. She could see the troubled look on his face so she tenderly ran her fingers through his hair, whispering to him that everything was okay and that he was safe.

She was happy when he calmed down once again without ever having woken. Sighing in satisfaction, she drifted back off to sleep.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny awoke with a start, having been shocked out of her sleep. Taking a quick look around, she saw the source.

Winky was standing in the doorway, looking quite upset.

"Master Harry, you bad boy. Bringing a lady and having her in you's bed!" she screeched.

Hearing Harry's name she quickly turned her head and saw Harry sitting up with a just as startled look on his face as she had.

At her movement, he turned and looked at her, a shocked look on his face. He blushed deeply and mumbled something she couldn't make out.

He took a deep calming breath and turned to his distraught house elf. "Winky, it's not what it looks like. If you'll please go and make breakfast we'll join you shortly."

Winky gave him a disapproving look but nodded and left.

Harry then turned his attention to Ginny. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly.

Ginny was a little surprised at how calmly he seemed to be taking everything. She quickly explained about his having the nightmares and how he responded to her presence and what she did to comfort him. Ending with how she decided to stay and take care of him through the night.

Harry digested her story for a few moments before looking her in the eyes. "You didn't have to do that," he said plainly.

"I know I didn't have to, but I thought as long as I seemed to be helping you I'd do it anyway," she replied with a small smile.

Harry gave her a small smile in return. "I do have to admit that I haven't awoken this refreshed in longer than I care to remember. Plus I don't think I've slept through the night since before the War."

He then gave her a concerned look. "I didn't, you know, make an arse out of myself last night? Did I?" he asked, dropping his eyes, unable to look at her.

Ginny smiled warmly. "No Harry, you didn't. You basically passed out as soon as I got you home. I must say, I now understand about what you said about you and Firewhisky not getting along," she said with a trace of humour.

Harry took a quick glance at her before dropping his gaze once again and blushed even deeper.

Ginny reached out and placed her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I got you the Firewhisky," she said softly with a sad look.

Harry stared at her hand on his, his thoughts a chaotic maelstrom. He couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him so tenderly.

He looked up at her sadly. "It's not your fault. I know how Firewhisky affects me and I should have known better and just refused it."

Ginny gave him puzzled look. "Why didn't you?" she asked out of curiosity.

Harry blushed and dropped his gaze again. He gave her a small shrug. "Itwasfromyou," he whispered in a rush.

Ginny thought she understood what he had said but wasn't quite sure. "What was that?" she asked with a smile.

Harry sighed deeply. "It was from you," he whispered much slower.

Ginny gave him a sad smile. "While that's kind of sweet, you should have said something and I would have gotten you something different," she said quietly.

Harry just gave her a shrug and she decided to drop the subject.

He turned his back to her, trying to rein in his runaway emotions. He was both irritated at her being here and wanting it more than anything.

He knew he had become a recluse and he had thought it didn't matter to him any more. It had been quite some time since he had spent more than an hour away from Potter Manor, the wedding being an exception.

Now he awoke to find Ginny sleeping next to him. He was just glad that she had said he hadn't made an arse of himself. Though he usually thought that he didn't mind his isolated life, he knew deep down that did miss human companionship.

While he loved Kreacher and Winky and considered them friends, he knew that they were servants by nature and acted that way most of the time.

He was startled out of his ruminations by Ginny getting out of bed. His eyes widening when he saw how she was dressed. He chided himself lightly, knowing that she couldn't have slept in her dress robes and he shouldn't have been surprised to see her wearing some of his things.

He saw her eyeing her robes and sensed her reluctance to put them back on. "If you like I can have Winky find something for you to wear," he said softly.

Ginny spun around and looked at him in surprise. "How did you know what I was thinking?" she asked. She was sure he couldn't have been looking into her mind as she was facing away from him and eye contact was required for Legilimency.

"It just seemed logical with the way you were acting," he said softly.

"That would be wonderful," she replied with a small smile. "Though I'm surprised you'd have something for me to wear."

"It would be just some of my old clothes. I'm sure we have something that would fit reasonably well," Harry replied as he got out of bed.

He then looked down at what he was wearing, seeing himself dressed in nothing but his boxers. He blushed and hurriedly grabbed his dressing gown and put it on.

Ginny smiled in amusement, wondering if he realized that it was her that had gotten him into bed.

"Winky!" he called out.

Within moments a irate Winky appeared in the bedroom with a small pop. "Master Harry called," she said with a frown.

"If you would, please find something suitable for Miss Weasley to wear," he asked contritely.

Winky huffed in displeasure and she glared at him. "Winky, make breakfast. Winky get something for Miss Weasley to wear. Winky wishes Master Harry would make up his mind. It would serve Master right if Master's breakfast was ruined," the diminutive elf complained.

"I'm sure breakfast will be up to Winky's usual standards," Harry replied softly.

Winky huffed again before disappearing with a crack. She reappeared several moments later with a small pile of clothing which she handed Ginny with a small smile, letting her know that she didn't hold her responsible.

"Thank you Winky," Ginny said softly with a smile.

The small elf nodded before turning her gaze back to Harry. "If that is all that Master requires, Winky will return to making breakfast," she said with a frown.

Harry took Winky's mild rebuke stoically. "That would be wonderful," he said evenly.

Winky gave a small huff once again before disappearing.

Ginny discreetly grabbed her knickers, deciding she didn't want to subject herself to the uncomfortable bra and headed for the loo.

Once inside she quickly washed her face, wishing she could take a shower but decided that it could wait until she got back to the Burrow. She figured she'd imposed enough on Harry's hospitality as it was.

She quickly went through the pile of clothing that Winky had provided and found a pair of jeans that fit reasonably well. After putting them on she chose a tee shirt that was large enough to hide the fact she wasn't wearing a bra.

She took a good look at herself in the mirror and approved of what she saw. While the jeans were obviously well worn and faded some, they were in excellent shape and fit her well.

The tee shirt she had chosen was a dark green and she realized that the colour would compliment Harry's eyes quite well. It fit loose enough for what she wanted, not showing that she wasn't wearing her bra.

With a satisfied nod she went back into the bedroom.

She was slightly disappointed that Harry wasn't there so she grabbed the rest of her things, deciding not to put on the shoes. While not that uncomfortable she didn't think they went with what she was wearing. She chuckled lowly at that thought. She'd never been all that fashion conscious and thought it was rather funny that she was doing so now.

She made her way back out to the parlour where she found Harry waiting. He gave her a small smile. "Those look better on you than they ever did on me," he said warmly.

Ginny smiled back, though she wondered a bit about his fluctuating reactions to her. Sometimes warm and at others so cool. She thought she understood, at least partially but figured it would take more time to know for sure.

"Thank you, though it's just a pair of old jeans and a tee shirt," she replied.

Harry just shrugged. 'Still, you look good in them," he said, blushing slightly.

Ginny gave him a small nod in acknowledgement of his compliment.

"Winky has breakfast about ready and we'd like it if you joined us," he said.

Though she hadn't planned on staying for breakfast there was something in his tone of voice that spoke to her. She could feel the undercurrent of loneliness that was there.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it wasn't that late in the morning and she doubted that any one would be up at the Burrow following the wedding.

"All right," she replied with a smile, placing her things on the back of a nearby chair.

She was happy to see the small smile that sprang up on Harry's face and decided that she had done the right thing.

She followed Harry into the kitchen where she was surprised to see the table set for four. She'd never heard of elves eating with their Master before.

Winky frowned slightly at Harry but it quickly changed into a smile when she saw Ginny enter behind him. Though she didn't approve of Kreacher's actions, she did want Harry to find some happiness and thought that Ginny just might be the one who could provide that.

As they sat down, Ginny looked at the elves. "Good morning," she said brightly.

Winky smiled demurely, ducking her head and mumbling "Good morning, Miss."

Kreacher smiled widely. "Good morning, Miss. Kreacher is happy that you joined us for breakfast."

"It's my pleasure," Ginny said. "I'm sure with the aftermath of the wedding I'd be on my own at home and probably would have settled for making myself just some tea and toast."

She smiled as she looked at the scrumptious breakfast laid out on the table. It rivalled anything her mother would have done on any ordinary day.

"Winky, you've really outdone yourself making such a fine breakfast," Ginny said, complimenting the elf.

Winky's face darkened as she smiled shyly. "Thank you Miss," she replied softly.

"Are you trying to corrupt my elves?" Harry asked, giving her a strange look.

Ginny turned her attention to him. "Why certainly not. I just think you should give credit where it is due," she replied indignantly.

As Harry sighed with a frown, Ginny turned her attention back to the two elves and began to chat with them.

Though he secretly liked the sound of Ginny's voice, right at the moment he found it irritating. He was used to having quiet at the breakfast table and Kreacher and Winky knew it. He couldn't understand why they were behaving differently.

Then he had to admit to himself that wasn't true. Ginny was a very pretty, well okay, beautiful young woman who was quite personable. It was natural for her to be so animated this early in the morning.

He on the other hand, who rarely slept the night through, was usually quiet and quite tired. And since he was admitting things to himself this morning, he never slept a full night, at least not since the war.

That brought his thinking back to this morning when he'd woken up after sleeping the complete night through. He wanted to convince himself that it was because of the Firewhisky he had consumed but once again had to admit he knew that wasn't the case.

It was because of the beautiful, captivating and highly infuriating woman sitting next to him. He hadn't known her for 24 hours and she was already disrupting his life.

Deep down in the forgotten recesses of his mind, he knew it was a good thing. Something that he actually needed in his life, but consciously he found it aggravating.

While Ginny and the elves chatted away happily, Harry ate his breakfast in silence, deeply contemplating the situation. Unnoticed by him, Kreacher was keeping his eyes on him, taking in everything.

The old elf knew that Harry was agitated and he considered that a good thing. For far too long his Master had been isolating himself, becoming too set in his ways, accepting his situation without making any attempt to change it.

Yes, he and Winky provided some level of companionship but Master needed more. He needed a type of human companionship that the elves just weren't able to give. He was sure that Miss Ginny was just the one that Master needed, all he had to do was convince him of that fact. Certainly not an easy task.

Soon breakfast was completed, the only interruption coming when the delivery owl had brought the morning papers. Harry had subscriptions to the Daily Prophet and the London Times. He had made special arrangements to have the Prophet have the Times delivered at the same time.

Normally Harry sat over several more cups of tea and read the papers sitting at the kitchen table but this morning they sat untouched and ignored. Something the Kreacher found quite amusing but he was skilled enough to not let his amusement show.

Ginny had hoped that Harry would be more engaged than he had been but figured that maybe he had reached his current limit of having someone disrupting his life.

"Well I really must be going," she said as she rose.

"Oh, right," Harry replied, startled from his ruminations. Rising, he followed her into the parlour.

Ginny grabbed her things and looked around, slightly confused. She really didn't want to floo with her dress robes and she was sure that she couldn't Apparate from where she currently was.

Harry looked at her in understanding. He knew she didn't want to use the floo and it was a bit of a walk to the edge of the wards. Plus he didn't want her to be seen by any of the towns people. It wouldn't look good for her to be seen leaving his place with her dress robes over her arm. Not that he cared what they might think of him, it was Ginny's reputation he was concerned about. That and the fact she was barefoot. The path leading to the edge of the wards was rather rough, not being used hardly at all.

"Hold on a moment," he said, drawing his wand. "I'll adjust the wards so you can Apparate from here."

Ginny smiled in appreciation of his thoughtfulness. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

Harry muttered a spell she couldn't make out. When he nodded at her, she gave him a mischievous look. "I'll see you later," she said with a grin and before he could react with more than a surprised look, she Apparated away.

Harry just stared, open mouthed at where Ginny had disappeared from. So focused on what she had said and its implications that he forgot to reset the wards.

Kreacher, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen noticed but decided it wasn't his place to say anything. With a smile, he turned back into the kitchen, deciding that maybe Winky would accept his help in cleaning up.

Ginny arrived at the Burrow, expecting to find everyone still asleep or at least having a lie in after the hectic day of the wedding. Instead she arrived to find the kitchen filled with frantic people. Most surprising was the fact that her brother Ron and Hermione were there.

As soon as she stepped in Ron turned to her. "Where have you been?" he said hotly.

Ginny almost said she'd been at Harry's but then caught herself. "That's none of your business," she cried back, a scowl on her face.

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: As stated in the synopsis, this is a Harry never went to Hogwarts story. The story is six chapters long and is complete. I'll be posting new chapters once a week until all are posted and rest assured that I will now be working diligently on my other incomplete stories. This just grabbed me and insisted on being written. That was one of the reasons for finishing it before posting it. I didn't want another story to work on while having so many other stories in progress.  
**

 **Harry is a reclusive, shy and somewhat damaged wizard. Kreacher wants to change Harry's life for the better and thinks Ginny is just the person he needs. The thing is, will Harry accept her into his life?**

 **Please review, it's the only 'payment' we authors receive and they are greatly appreciated.**

 **I want to thank the wonderful Stephanie O for her fantastic Beta work. She has a great knack for finding all the little typos that I just can't seem to see.**


	2. Chapter 2

2

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 2**

 _As soon as she stepped in Ron turned to her. "Where have you been?" he said hotly._

 _Ginny almost said she'd been at Harry's but then caught herself. "That's none of your business," she cried back, a scowl on her face._

"Why are you even here? You're supposed to be off on your honeymoon," she said irritably.

"Well, we could hardly leave with you being missing," Ron shot back, his eyes blazing.

Hermione looked worriedly back and forth between Ron and Ginny. "Why doesn't everyone just calm down," she said pleaded softly.

Molly chose that moment to make her presence known as she tried to get things to calm down. Yes, she'd been concerned the previous evening when Ginny couldn't be found but she couldn't understand Ron's attitude. Everyone had urged him and Hermione to head off on their trip, that everything would be okay, but he had refused, becoming rather enraged that she was missing. She had thought he had gotten over his over-protectiveness but obviously not.

"Ginny, would you care for something to eat?" she asked, hoping to change the subject, at least for the moment. She couldn't say that she wasn't as equally curious as to where her daughter had spent the night. Though she would have preferred to speak to Ginny privately and in a much calmer setting.

"No thanks, Mum. I've already eaten breakfast this morning," Ginny replied. Glancing around she was sure she wasn't going to be able to go up to her room, at least for the moment.

"Though a cup of tea would be welcome," she added with a small smile at her mother.

Ginny hung her dress robes up near the door and dropped her shoes before sitting down at the table. She glanced around once more, taking in everyone's faces.

Bill, her eldest brother was looking at her with a small smile on his face. It seemed he wasn't that concerned about her being absent, though she could tell he was a bit curious.

Next to him his wife, Fleur was muttering away in French. Ginny knew just enough to understand the the part Veela didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Ginny was of age and really didn't need to answer to anyone about what she had been doing and where she had gone.

Just past her sat George. He had his head resting on his crossed arms on top of the table and appeared to have fallen asleep. While he had looked at her earlier, he had obviously succumbed to his lack of sleep, more how she had envisioned everyone else to be the morning following the wedding.

At the other end of the table sat her father. He appeared rather rumpled and Ginny wondered if he had imbibed a fair quantity of alcohol last night. Something totally uncharacteristic but not out of the realm of possibility due to his youngest son getting married. On the whole, he appeared as if he wished he was still in bed, though he did look slightly concerned, probably about her being missing.

Sitting at the other corner next to her father was Percy. Now that things were calming down, he had his head resting in the palm of one hand, propping it up and she could see him fighting to keep his eyes open. He also looked like that maybe he'd had quite a bit to drink at the wedding reception.

Next to Percy was Charlie. Of all the occupants of the Burrow he looked the most normal. Though Ginny knew without a doubt he had consumed a fair quantity of Firewhisky, he was a big burly man and Dragon Handlers were known for being able to hold their liquor.

She noticed him sharing glances with Bill but she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Of all he brothers he was the most stoic of the bunch, his face rarely giving anything away.

Sitting on the near side of Charlie was Hermione. Ginny almost laughed as she watch her new sister-in-law. Her face was ever changing as different emotions kept flashing across it. From annoyance to worry to frustration, it was all there for anyone to see.

Ron was pacing behind her, obviously still too agitated to sit down. Every time he came back towards her, he would scowl in her direction. Something that irritated Ginny to no end.

Molly arrived and sat down between Hermione and Ginny, pouring the tea which was passed around.

Ginny smiled when Fleur lightly elbowed George to see if he wanted any but he just grunted and went back to snoring softly.

Once everyone had their tea and taken a sip, Molly looked at Ginny. "Care to tell us where you were last might?" she asked a bit hesitantly.

"I stayed a with a friend," she said simply.

"Where?" Ron snapped, scowling deeply.

"At my friend's place," Ginny retorted with a frown.

When it looked like Ron was going to say something, thankfully her father intervened. "Quit badgering you sister," he snapped unhappily.

Ron frowned at him but kept quiet. Obviously displeased but knowing that he couldn't go against his father's wishes.

Ginny had been watching Ron and her father but turned her head when Bill spoke to her.

"You have to admit it was out of character for you to just take off without saying anything," he said without any rancour, a smile on his lips.

Ginny just shrugged. "I was tired and with all the commotion I knew I'd never get to sleep here so I left," she explained calmly.

"Did Harry make it home okay? Hermione asked worriedly.

"I made sure he got home," Ginny reassured the bushy-haired girl.

Hermione sighed in relief but you could tell she was still worried. "Was he okay? How did he seem? I mean I barely got to talk with him," she rattled on.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Harry was fine when I saw him last," she replied. Leaving out the fact it was just before she reappeared at the Burrow.

"I sat with him after we danced and we chatted till he wanted to leave," she added.

"He danced with you?" Hermione asked wide-eyed in shock.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "Rather divinely," she added in a whisper to herself, a smile growing as she remembered it.

"I feel so bad that I didn't spend more time with him," Hermione whinged.

"Hermione, it was your wedding. Harry understood that so please don't feel bad," Ginny replied sympathetically.

Hermione gave her a wan smile in thanks.

Percy's head fell out of his hand and he jerked upright. "Are we about done here?" he asked. "If so I'd like to go get some more sleep."

Everyone looked at Molly. "Yes, we're done," she stated with a sigh. She then looked at Ron and Hermione. "You two should get going. You've found out your sister is home and safe so there is no need to hang around any longer."

Hermione stood, smiling uneasily as she grabbed Ron by the arm. "Let's get going," she said pleadingly.

Ron nodded but glared at his sister, his eyes saying "We're going to have a talk when I get back."

Ginny rolled her eyes in disgust, knowing that she'd have to confront him when he returned. Not that she was worried or anything. She was a much better duellist than he was and she wasn't adverse to showing him just how much.

After Ron and Hermione left Ginny rose and went to retrieve her robes before heading up to her room, contemplating if it wasn't time to find a place of her own.

As she turned to head up the stairs she was intercepted by her brother Bill. He smiled at her and took her into hug. "I'm just glad that you're safe," he said lowly into her ear.

Ginny sighed as she hugged him back. "Merlin Bill, what did everyone think happened to me? It's not like there's still any Death Eaters running around."

"I know that Firefly," Bill said with a grin.

"Godric Bill! You haven't called me that since I was what? Seven?" Ginny protested.

Bill's grin grew a little. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he said mischievously.

Ginny's shoulders slump. "But don't you see? That's part of the problem. Godric, Mum still treats me like I'm still that little girl. Most of the time I feel so smothered here," she said exasperatedly.

Bill gave her a sympathetic look. "I know as well as anyone. Why do you think I took the job in Egypt?" he said lowly, glancing to see where their mother was. Luckily she was over by the stove and seemed oblivious to their conversation.

"And you think I don't know that? Or that Charlie took the job at the Dragon Preserve for the same reason?" Ginny said, her eyes flashing.

Bill gave a shrug. "I wasn't sure, I mean I'd hoped you'd figured it out. You were always the smartest one out of all of us."

Ginny gave her brother a wry grin. "Don't think you can get off the hook by buttering me up," she said with a chuckle.

Bill gave her a smile. "Hey, I figured it couldn't hurt to try."

He then took a breath and blew it out, looking more serious. "Like I said, it was out of character for you and yes, I know that there aren't any Death Eaters running around any more but that doesn't mean that there aren't any bad people out there either. Just accept the fact that we were worried about you. Okay?"

Ginny nodded, acknowledging that he was right about that. She then smiled coyly. "So how's Toire doing? Any chance she'll have a brother or sister soon?" she asked with an impish grin.

Bill blanched and looked around quickly. "Shhh," he cautioned. "How did you know? I mean we're not even sure yet. We have an appointment with the Medi-Witch tomorrow," he said quietly but fervently.

Ginny smirked at him. "I didn't know for sure but she has that look about her. I'm really surprised Mum hasn't said something."

Bill gave a little shrug. "Yeah, well she's been pretty occupied working with Mrs Granger on the wedding and we haven't been around her all that much lately," he replied, looking rather guilty.

Ginny smiled at him. "Don't worry. I won't say a thing," she said mischievously.

"See that you don't," he admonished, though he was smiling too.

"All right, spoilsport," she teased. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go take a shower."

Bill eyed her speculatively. "Why didn't you take one this morning? I mean it wasn't like you were with some bloke," he said seriously.

Ginny couldn't help herself. It was times like this that she hated her fair complexion as she blushed lightly.

Bill's eyes widened in shock as he got a good look at what she was wearing. "You were with a bloke," he sputtered.

"Shhh," Ginny shushed him, glancing at her parents. "It wasn't like that. I mean we didn't . . . He's just a friend," she said in a near panic.

Bill eyed her dubiously.

Ginny stared back at him angrily. "Don't worry, your little sister's virtue is still intact," she spat. "Kind of pathetic really. I'm the only twenty year old virgin I know of."

Bill looked at her with obvious relief. "Don't be in an all fired hurry to give that gift away," he said lowly.

Ginny looked at him in disgust. "Says the bloke who lost his at fifteen with that girl from the village," she said disparagingly.

Bill looked at her in surprise. "How do you know that?" he asked in disbelief, not that she wasn't correct. He just hadn't known that she knew.

Ginny shot him a look. "Blokes shouldn't brag to their brothers where then can be overheard," she sneered.

"What's going on over here," Charlie said coming over to them.

"Nothing," Ginny replied as she turned and headed up the stairs.

Bill and Charlie watched her go. Bill glanced around, noticing everyone who was still there. Fortunately George was still asleep at the table but their mother and father were still nearby, eyeing them with questioning looks on their faces.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered to his younger brother.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Kreacher came into the parlour and took a good look at Harry. He was sitting in his favourite chair in front of the fireplace with the Daily Prophet opened but resting unread in his lap. He had a contemplative look on his face accompanied by a small frown.

"Would Master like Kreacher to get him anything?" he asked Harry.

Harry's head jerked up and he stared at the elf. "What's that?" he asked bewilderedly.

The ancient elf gave him a small smile. "Kreacher asked if Master required anything," he repeated.

"No, I'm fine," Harry replied softly, a small frown on his face.

As Kreacher turned to leave Harry asked him "Am I doing the right thing?"

Kreacher turn back to Harry. He was fairly certain what he was asking about but decided to make him say it. "Master does many things right. Perhaps if Master told Kreacher exactly what he is talking about Kreacher can give him a better answer," he replied.

Harry sighed and stared down at his paper. "Never mind. It's not important," he said lowly, his voice laden with sadness.

"As Master wishes," Kreacher replied with a bow. He then sighed and headed back into the kitchen, wishing he could help his Master more than he was. He hoped that his plan would work and his Master wouldn't be so sad and lonely any more.

Harry sighed as he watched Kreacher leave. Almost wishing that the old elf had pressed the issue. He stared into the fire for several moments, his thoughts filled with the enigmatic witch that had left not that long ago. He found he couldn't get her out of his mind.

Rising suddenly, he marched over to the coat-rack by the door and grabbed his jacket. "Kreacher!" he called out.

The old elf appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "Master called?" he asked.

"I'm going to take a walk," Harry announced as he put his jacket on.

"A walk will do Master good," Kreacher replied stoically.

Harry just nodded absent-mindedly as he opened the door and walked outside.

He stood on the stoop for several moments, staring up into the bright blue sky and wondered why it seemed so gloomy. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he began to walk around his property.

He walked a circuit he had been over hundreds of times but today it didn't give him the solace it normally did. He trudged along, automatically following the well worn path that ran around the border of the Potter property.

His thoughts, as they had been all morning were on one Ginny Weasley, trying to figure out how someone he had just met and spent such a relatively short period of time with could have him in such a state.

Unknowingly a small smile crept onto his face as he remembered the time he had spent with her. From dancing with her at Hermione's wedding and then sitting and talking to her.

Then there was the fact that she had brought him home and spent the night. A night he had slept straight through. Something that just didn't happen, at least not since the end of the war.

He stopped at the small stream that ran through the back edge of the property and closed his eyes. Usually the peaceful murmur of the running water brought him a sense of peace, but not today.

With his eyes closed all he saw was Ginny's face before him and he studied it closely. She had a cute nose that was dusted with a smattering of freckles that ran down onto each cheek. Then there were her eyes. A warm brown, flaked with bronze and gold, with fine, delicate coppery eyelashes that seemed to make her eyes all that more mesmerizing.

Eyes that held his gaze, eyes that seemed to be able to reach right down in and read his soul. Eyes that he found he wanted to stare in again,

Then there was her mouth. Just perfectly sized for her slim face. A mouth that drew his gaze, almost begging to be kissed.

Harry groaned softly. "What is it about her that has me so captivated?" he asked himself out loud softly.

Deep inside he knew the answer but he ignored it. He had decided long ago to forego matters of the heart. It had just caused him too much pain. Nobody saw him as just Harry. He was forever branded with stupid monikers like The-Boy-Who-Lived and The Chosen One or his 'favourite, 'The Saviour of the Wizarding World', he thought sarcastically.

The few witches he had dated were all enamoured with his fame and his supposedly vast fortune. If they only knew the truth about that. Sure he lived comfortably on the proceeds from his small investments but that was because he lived a rather frugal lifestyle.

The house and property had been paid off generations ago by his ancestors so his living expenses were just what he needed for food and whatever minor things he purchased during the year. Not that they were much, mainly books that he read to keep himself occupied.

The reward he had been given with his Order of Merlin he had donated to charity. To him it wasn't really his. It was blood money that couldn't give him what he really wanted – his parents and his godfather back. He'd give anything to have that. Their deaths had left such a huge hole in his heart that he didn't think could ever be filled.

Then the image of Ginny once more filled his mind. Standing there in the parlour, wearing his old jeans and a tee, looking more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

He smiled at the memory of her but it quickly morphed into a frown. He couldn't stand it. He was constantly thinking of her and it was driving him round the twist.

He groaned loudly once again. Bending over he picked up a small flat rock and threw it side-arm, sending it spinning till it came in contact the the water of the stream. He watched it carefully, counting to himself the number of times it skipped across the surface. Twelve times the rock caused little circular rings of ripples to spread out across the surface.

" _Not bad,"_ he said to himself. After all it was a small stream and he had to throw the rock at a rather precise angle to keep it between the banks.

He sighed, giving a rueful chuckle. "I'm going barmy," he said out loud.

Stuffing his hands back into his pockets he continued on his circuit around his property.

Almost immediately the image of Ginny reappeared in his mind. "She can't be that perfect," he muttered lowly.

"She has to have some kind of flaw. Something that I'll find abhorrent," he said a few moments later. "Then I'll be able to stop obsessing on her and go back to my quiet simple life. Yeah that's it. I'll invite her over for tea and learn as much as I can about her and then things will go back to the way they were," he said in satisfaction.

" _Yeah, you go ahead and think that,"_ the little voice in the back of his mind said.

Harry frowned but kept on walking.

" _Sure, go ahead and ignore me but that doesn't change the fact that the woman interests you like nothing else has,"_ the voice insisted.

"The book I was reading the other day was quite interesting, at least as much as her, maybe more," Harry protested.

The voice laughed at him. " _Oh really? What was its title?"_

"It's . . ." Harry said hesitantly and then he frowned. He couldn't remember the title to the book. It boggled his mind. He'd never had trouble remembering something like that in the past.

"It's that book by that American Wizard, Vince Lombardi or something like that," he finally said lowly, trying to picture the book in his mind.

Instead the image of Ginny casually tucking a strand of hair behind her one ear flashed into his mind, Once again a small smile came unbidden to his lips. A simple act that had captivated his attention. The way the morning sun had come streaming through the nearby window, causing a dazzling array of highlights to dance in its caressing beam.

The voice chuckled at him. " _Sure, everything is just fine,"_ the voiced whispered as it faded away.

Harry finished his walk in quiet contemplation, most of the time the image of Ginny floating in the forefront of his mind. He was so distracted he almost walked right past the door back inside.

He was several steps past it when he looked up in confusion, glancing around like he was lost. Shaking his head he turned and went back to the door, pausing on the stoop once more.

Though the sky hadn't changed, he noticed it didn't seem as gloomy as when he had left. With a sigh he went back inside.

After hanging up his jacket he went straight to his study to write the note to Ginny.

Right after he sat down Kreacher appeared with a tray bearing a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry said idly as he pulled out a scrap of parchment.

"Did Master Harry have a nice walk?" the old elf asked.

"What?" Harry asked distractedly before he processed what Kreacher had said. "Oh, yeah. It was fine," he said with a small frown before he went back to working on his note.

Kreacher gave him a knowing smile, sure about what his Master had been thinking about. If nothing else his visitor had certainly shaken up his Master's world and that was a good thing as far as he was concerned.

Harry wasn't even aware of Kreacher leaving as he sat and contemplated what he wanted to write. He certainly didn't want to give her any idea of how much he had been thinking about her.

Giving a small huff, he grabbed a quill, dipped it into the ink pot and began to write. He kept it short and to the point. When he was done he called for Kreacher.

The ancient elf appeared almost immediately. "Master Harry called for Kreacher."

"Yes. Please deliver this to Miss Weasley," he said handing the small scroll. "And please . . ."

"Kreacher knows to deliver Master Harry's note where no one else can see," Kreacher said hiding his smirk.

"Yes, well . . . off you go then," Harry replied feeling a bit embarrassed.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny made her way down to the pond at the back edge of the Burrow's property. It had become a place of refuge for her. Whenever things got to much for her in the Burrow or she just wanted some calm alone time, it was where she ended up going.

In the past when she had been much younger, it was a place that all the kids congregated. During the summers it was where they swam to escape the heat and during the winters where they spent countless hours ice skating.

Now days it was rare that anyone else found their way down to its tranquil setting. Ginny knew she could count on one hand the times she had seen anyone else there.

That suited her just fine. She had a special refuge virtually all to herself. Somewhere she could think uninterrupted or just sit and enjoy the quiet, something that was a rarity in the chaos of the Burrow.

After taking her shower she had gone back down to the kitchen to help her mum prepare lunch and spend some time with her brother Charlie. He would only be staying a couple of more days and she rarely got to see him any more.

It had actually been a pleasant time. She, her mum, her dad and George sat around the table listening to Charlie tell stories of his time in Romania. There had been many laughs as he regaled them with the antics that took place at the Preserve.

Though Charlie had given her a strange look when they had first sat down, that had quickly passed.

She smiled at the memory of laughing so hard that her sides had hurt and she was glad that the topic of where she had spent the night never came up.

Of course George couldn't let Charlie be the only one telling stories and he had added many of the most humorous tales of the various goings on at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

It had seemed that they were competing to see who could tell the most outrageous story.

Her smile softened as she thought about meeting Harry and all that had taken place. She was just contemplating on how she wanted to see him again when she was startled by a popping sound as Kreacher appeared before her.

"Hello, Kreacher," she said warmly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Kreacher is pleased to see Miss as well," he replied with a bow.

Ginny was just about to ask what he was doing there when Kreacher pulled out a small scroll and handed it to her.

Though slightly surprised, she took no time in popping open the seal.

 _Dear Miss Weasley,_

 _I was hoping that you'd consent to having tea with me tomorrow evening._

 _Hoping you'll accept,_

 _Harry Potter_

She smiled as the problem on how to see Harry again had been neatly solved.

"Please inform Harry that I'd be happy to come to tea tomorrow," she said happily.

"Kreacher will be happy to convey your answer to Master Harry," the elf replied with a smile.

"How is he doing?" Ginny asked, slightly concerned.

"Master Harry has been quite distracted all day," Kreacher replied with a smile.

"And that's a good thing?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Oh yes," Kreacher replied gleefully. "It means that Master Harry has been thinking about Miss."

Ginny smiled, for some reason she found that information pleased her greatly.

"What should I wear?" Ginny asked worriedly. Her mind quickly going through her meagre wardrobe of dresses.

"What Miss wore this morning will be perfect," Kreacher replied with a smile.

"Really?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Oh yes, Miss. Master could barely keep his eyes off of Miss," Kreacher said knowingly.

"If you say so," Ginny replied with a smile. She shuddered to think what her mother would say if she knew her daughter was going to go to tea wearing old jeans and a tee shirt.

"How should I arrive?" she asked after a moments thought.

"Miss should use the floo. That way Master Harry won't realize he hasn't cancelled the opening in the wards he created for Miss," the elf replied.

Ginny nodded in understanding. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow for tea," she said happily.

After Kreacher left, Ginny sat contemplating just what she expected from getting closer to the reclusive Harry Potter. Sure she knew that he needed someone in his life. Just the short time she had spent with him had let her see him silently screaming out for companionship.

But what was in it ultimately for her? She had no illusions about them falling madly in love and living 'Happily Ever After'. Things like that just didn't happen in the real world.

Yes it would be nice to have another friend, she had so few really close ones. In some ways she knew she was almost as lonely as Harry was. Oh sure, she wasn't the recluse he was and she did have a loving family but there were times she wished for something more. Someone who would accept her for the person she was and not what they expected her to be. Even surrounded by people she knew that one could feel very alone.

Sighing she drove those thoughts from her mind. She knew she wouldn't figure it out at the moment and after all, she was just going to tea. It wasn't like they had any sort of real relationship. She'd just go with an open mind and see what developed and take things from there.

But it was at his invitation and that had to mean something. As the light began to fade, she made her way back up to the Burrow, hoping that the next day went well.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry paced nervously as he watched the clock tick down till it was time for Ginny to arrive.

Several times during the day he had almost wrote a note cancelling his invitation but he had ultimately talked himself out of doing so. Though as the time came nearer for her to arrive he began to second guess himself on that.

He was just about to call Kreacher to bring him a Calming Draught when the floo flared and Ginny stepped gracefully out.

He abruptly stopped pacing and he stared at her. Even though she was just dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a tee shirt he thought she looked exceedingly beautiful. Even more so than he had seen her dressed in his similar clothing.

For one thing, both the jeans and tee fit so much better than his had. The jeans were a woman's cut and fitted her body much tighter, not that they were particularly tight, they were just cut more for her shape than his men's jeans had been.

Then there was the tee shirt. It definitely fit her much, much better than his had. It was tight enough to show off her womanly attributes splendidly. So much so that he didn't notice her self-satisfying smirk.

"Thanks for inviting me," Ginny said, breaking the silence.

Harry snapped back to reality and looked at her face. "Oh . . . um, it was nothing, really," he stammered nervously.

"Well, it was still nice of you," Ginny replied with a smile.

Harry just stood there gaping at her for several moments before he suddenly moved towards her, stopping several feet short.

"Why don't you come and sit for a little bit. Winky almost has tea ready and will call us when it is," he said hesitantly.

Ginny nodded and went and sat down on the couch, curious to see where Harry would choose to sit.

She wasn't really surprised but a bit disappointed when he chose to sit in the chair across from her. She had to fight to keep from laughing when she saw how he sat. He was practically on the edge of the chair, so rigid and tense.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

Harry stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. "Everything is fine," he replied a bit defensively.

"Sorry," she said demurely. "It's just that you seem, I don't know, out of sorts or something."

Harry sighed deeply and did relax a little back into his chair. "No, I'm sorry," he said with a shrug. "It's just been a long time since I've had anyone to tea."

Ginny couldn't keep a soft smile from creeping onto her face. It was hard to reconcile the shy bundle of nerves that she saw before her with the stories that she had heard about the 'Great Harry Potter'. There was even a small faction that were convinced that he was going to turn out to be the next Dark Lord. If only they could see him like he was at that moment.

While Harry stared down into his lap Ginny took the time to study him closely. Something she really hadn't done before.

He was dressed very similarly as she was, though he was wearing a button down shirt of deep blue. His jeans were well worn but not particularly faded and from what she saw before he sat down, fit him well.

Following his legs down she could see he was wearing boots that were inside his pants legs. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed they were made out of Dragon hide.

Her eyes then travelled back up to his face and head. His hair was a bit unruly but not as much as she remembered from the pictures she had seen of him in the Prophet shortly after he had defeated Tom.

She realized it was now a bit longer than it had been back then and she thought it suited him better. Just peaking out of his fringe she could make out his famous or should she say infamous scar.

She, like virtually everyone else in the Wizarding world, had learned of its meaning when the whole story of his life had been published after the war. Of the Prophecy and how Tom had 'marked him as his equal'.

It actually made her a little sad that while so young he had such a burden placed on him. She knew from her own experiences with Tom how tough that could be.

As Harry's head came up, she jerked minutely in surprise. Though it wasn't small enough for Harry not to notice.

"What?" he asked with a confused look.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said with a small blush. "I just noticed you're not wearing your glasses."

Harry actually gave her a small smile and blushed slightly in return. "I'm wearing muggle contacts," he said softly.

Before he could explain, Ginny interrupted him. "I've heard of those though I've never met someone who wore them." She then gave a little laugh. "Though I guess unless you knew they were you wouldn't be able to tell, now could you."

"No, I guess you wouldn't," he replied.

He then sighed and looked back at Ginny. "I'm sorry, I'm being a poor host," he said with a thin smile.

"Why do you think that?" she asked lightly, trying to keep the mood upbeat.

Harry looked back at her with a worried frown. "Here I invite you to tea and I'm sitting here like a bore. You're a delightful young woman and deserve better treatment."

He then sighed heavily, once more staring at the floor. "This was a bad idea. I should never have invited you here," he said lowly, his face screwed up almost as if he was in pain.

"Do you want me to leave?" Ginny asked with concern, not knowing quite what to feel. On one hand she felt a bit hurt but on the other she could see the turmoil that Harry was in and thought she might be able to help him.

Before Harry could say anything, Winky came into the room and said, "Master Harry, tea is being served."

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: Ginny basically told her family to "stuff it" and she wasn't going to tell them anything. Bill unfortunately is way too observant for her own good.**

 **Harry is basically at once captivated by Ginny and terrified of her in his own way. What will happen next? Will she stay or will she go? (God I hate that commercial. For all you American readers you probably know what I'm talking about)**

 **Please leave a review, if you're so inclined. It will make my day.**


	3. Chapter 3

3

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 3**

" _Do you want me to leave?" Ginny asked with concern, not quite knowing what to feel. On one hand she felt a bit hurt but on the other she could see the turmoil that Harry was in and thought she might be able to help him._

 _Before Harry could say anything, Winky came into the room and said, "Master Harry, tea is being served."_

Harry gave Ginny a wan smile. "Well since Winky has tea ready you might as well stay."

"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Harry's smile grew just a little and he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure she's made enough to feed a small army and it would be a shame to let it go to waste," he replied with a glance at the diminutive elf.

"I's should think not," Winky said with a huff, her eyes flashing as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Ginny giggled lightly at the stern look that Winky was giving Harry. He frowned but the corners of his lips kept twitching up as he glanced at Winky. She was rather comical looking, with her arms folded across her chest and her huge orb-like eyes glaring at him in displeasure.

He sighed and stood up. "Please, this way," he said, indicating which direction he wanted her to go.

Ginny rose and headed towards the doorway Harry was indicating; slightly surprised they weren't headed into the kitchen.

Harry fell in step right behind her and they went down a short hall ending up in the formal dining room. Not that it was overly large or ostentatious.

There was a beautiful antique table and chairs for eight along with a matching sideboard and china cabinet. The one wall consisted of mainly windows that looked out over the back of the property. Ginny found the view very appealing. It was quite a pastoral scene with gardens and lawn in the foreground giving way to trees in the distance and she was surprised at how much it reminded her of the view behind the Burrow.

Interspaced with the windows were a number of wall sconces that were unlit, the windows providing plenty of light.

Above the table hung a small but stunning crystal chandelier. Ginny stared at it for a moment, reminiscing about the one she had been taken with at her Grandmother Prewett's house.

When she noticed Harry looking at her questioningly, she said with a smile, "Sorry, it just brought memories of my fascination with the chandelier that my grandmother Prewett had when I was a little girl."

Harry gave her a curt nod and a small smile in understanding.

It was then that Ginny noticed that there were two place settings at the far end of the table, one at the head of the table, the second to its left, facing the windows.

She smiled when Harry pulled out her chair for her and helped her sit down before taking his own seat.

They had only been seated for a second or two before Winky appeared with a vast array of platters and dishes which she floated onto the table.

"Will's that be all, Master Harry? she asked.

"Yes Winky and thank you for all your hard work," Harry replied with a smile at his elf.

Ginny looked at the multiple dishes before them and was surprised. It wasn't the usual array of foods one usually associated with Afternoon Tea.

There were none of the cutesy, delicate little sandwiches and pastries but instead consisted of a much more substantial fare.

Harry gave her a sympathetic smile. "I guess I should have warned you. Back when I was training we usually didn't take time for lunch so tea evolved into a regular meal. After which I'd go back to training and we didn't eat supper till very late," he explained.

Ginny gave him a warm smile. "That's okay. I've never been one for cucumber sandwiches and puff pastries," she replied.

Harry ladled out two smallish bowls of a wonderfully smelling onion soup, something that Ginny was grateful for as she didn't want to get filled up and not be able to enjoy sampling any of the other luscious dishes that were available.

As they started on their soup Harry looked at her and asked, "Do you mind if I ask you some questions about yourself?"

Ginny looked up at him and replied, "Not at all, as long as I can do the same."

Harry just shrugged. "I'd think you'd know all about me," he said a bit sadly. "It's been in all the papers."

When Ginny looked at him questioningly, he just shrugged again. "After I defeated Riddle, I've kept pretty much to myself," he explained.

When she looked at him in surprise he said, "I read a lot, play around with magic, study a little. I'm pretty boring really."

Though he said it rather matter-of-factually, Ginny could sense an underlying sense of sadness to his voice. She gave him an encouraging smile. "Ask away," she said brightly.

Harry nodded as he broke off a piece of bread and dipped it into his soup. "So what do you do?" he asked after taking a bite and swallowing.

Ginny smiled, thinking how Ron would have asked the question with his mouth full. "I'm a reserve Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies," she replied.

When he looked at her in surprise, she frowned. "What? Are you one of those pigheaded guys who think women shouldn't play Quidditch?" she asked a bit indignantly.

"No!" he replied, startled by her reaction. He then looked at her sheepishly. "I'm actually a bit envious. I'd once hoped to play professionally myself. I'm a pretty fair Seeker, or so I've been told," he said sadly.

He then gave her a small smile. "I do listen to most of the games on the wireless. I'll have to pay more attention to the Harpies now that I know you play for them."

"You'll probably have to listen for the next couple of years then," she said with a smile. "We have some really great Chasers right now and I'll probably not be able to break into the starting line-up till one of them retires."

"How long do you think that will be?" he asked as he finished his soup.

Ginny sighed and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd say two, maybe three years," she replied a bit wistfully.

Harry gave a small shrug. "There's always the chance someone will get injured."

"True there is always a chance that could happen but very unlikely. I haven't heard of anyone lately," Ginny said, looking thoughtfully.

"There's been three in the last year," Harry replied. "Hollingsworth for Puddlemere, Dowling for the Arrows and Littleton for the Kestrels. They all had career ending injuries this past season and that's just the Chasers," Harry said matter-of-factually.

"Is that so?" Ginny asked thoughtfully. "Well with thirteen teams and only three Chasers having to retire because of injuries the odds aren't very good for that to happen."

She then looked at him shrewdly. "How did you know about the injured Chasers?" she asked.

Harry just shrugged again. "Like I said, I don't go out much and I listen to a lot of Quidditch."

Ginny then gave a low chuckle. "I bet Ron would have known." She then frowned slightly. "You wouldn't believe it but when I got home the other day, he and Hermione were still there and he gave me a hard time about where I'd been."

Harry stared at her in concern. "What did you say?" he asked anxiously.

"I told him it was none of his business," she replied with a smug smile.

When she saw how relieved he looked she asked, "What's the matter?"

Harry shrugged again, something she noticed he seemed to do a lot. "I, ah, well I just don't want to be the cause of any hard feelings or anything between you and your family," he said softly.

"It had nothing to do with you, Harry. Ron's always been sticking his nose into my life since I went to school," Ginny said firmly. She then eyed him closely and didn't like what she saw.

"Is there something else I should know about?" she inquired, her eyes narrowing.

Harry sighed and glanced at her. "Ron doesn't like me very much," he said quietly.

When Ginny looked at him in surprise, he sighed again, a bit more deeply. "He thought I was interested in Hermione at one point and he never believed me when I told him I wasn't interested in her like that."

"Yeah, he can be a real jealous prat when it comes down to it," she said sympathetically. She then eyed him quizzically. "How did you meet them?" she asked.

Harry gave her a resigned look before he stared off into space for a moment. "I was out with Sirius, Remus and Tonks and we happened to be in Hogsmeade when the Death Eaters attacked. By happen-stance I ended up saving Hermione." He then gave her a sad smile. "Afterwards she thanked me a bit enthusiastically."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise and when he saw her he quickly added "It was just a hug!"

Ginny burst out laughing. When she calmed a little she said, "Let me guess. Ron saw her hugging you, didn't he?"

Harry just nodded and blushed lightly.

"Okay, I can understand that but that doesn't explain why she was so adamant that you had to be at their wedding," she said, wondering what else had taken place.

Harry nodded and gave her a half smile. "Well Remus knew her from when he taught at Hogwarts and we needed some help with researching some things. He talked it over with Dumbledore and Sirius and she became involved to a certain degree," he explained.

Ginny nodded, hoping he'd continue talking as he seemed to relax some and from the look in his eyes she thought there was more to it.

Harry saw her look and decided he ought to tell her the rest. "When she'd come over to research I was often in the library studying and since I rarely saw anyone my own age we began to talk," he said rather wistfully.

He then chuckled lightly, a small smile developing on his face. "We had some interesting discussions about a lot of things." His smile then grew. "Merlin, I didn't mind studying but she sure was . . ."

"Driven? Focused? Ah . . . Consumed?" Ginny asked, trying to help him.

Harry laughed fully for the first time in Ginny's presence. "Yeah, something like that," he said humorously.

He sighed but still had a small smile on his face. "Anyway, from what I gather, she was a bit enthusiastic in telling Ron about the time we spent together and he took things the wrong way," he said a bit sadly.

"Yeah, that's Ron," Ginny agreed.

"He did end up accompanying her several times and though I tried to include him, he never did warm up to me. Most of the time he just sat there and glared at me if I so much as said a word to Hermione," he said with a shake of his head.

Ginny rolled her eyes giving Harry a sympathetic smile. "Like I said, that's Ron. Though I must admit he's gotten a little better, he still has his moments."

Harry looked back up into Ginny's eyes. "Enough about me. Do you have any plans on what you want to do after you're done playing Quidditch?"

It was Ginny's turn to shrug. "Not really anything concrete. Healer school maybe, or who knows, I may end up taking a job as the Quidditch reporter. The Prophet could certainly use someone better than they have now. Or I may just meet the right person and settle down and raise a family," she rambled.

It was as she said the last part that she noticed the unguarded look of longing and pain that enveloped Harry.

She saw him realize she was looking at him so he broke eye contact and stared down at the tabletop.

"That sounds nice," he said lowly.

Ginny almost asked him if he wanted a family but caught herself in time. It was painfully obvious that the sound of having a family was something that he wished for fervently but it was equally obvious to her that he thought it was something that was out of reach.

She decided a change in topic was in order and began to talk about her brothers. She was glad when she saw Harry relax and smile.

When she paused after telling him a story about her and Bill when she was small, Harry jumped in.

"I've actually met most of your brothers," he said with a small grin. "Bill was the first one. He came and taught me some of his Curse Breaking secrets."

He then gave a small laugh. "I thought he was so cool, what with his fang earring and ponytail."

When Ginny gave him a surprised look, he said a bit defensively, "I was fifteen!"

Ginny shook her head and smiled. "No, it's not that. I used to think so too, still do to a degree."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Let's see . . . Percy was the next one I met. Because of my special circumstances I was allowed to get my Apparition Licence early and he was one of the people who was involved in setting that up."

He then blushed and gave her a guilty look. "I thought he was something of a pompous arse."

Ginny laughed and gave him a warm smile. "That's Percy, especially back then. Though he has mellowed a little he still is the most uptight of all my brothers," she said.

Harry gave her a small grateful smile. "I met Charlie at an Order of the Phoenix meeting, though we didn't really get a chance to talk. Even so, I liked him right away. There was just something about his demeanour that spoke to me," he said softly, a small grin on his face.

"I know what you mean. He can be so stoic but has such an inner strength and it lets you know that nothing will bother him and he won't panic in any situation, no matter how dire things may seem," Ginny replied, saying things that Harry had thought but found hard to vocalize.

"Yeah, that's the impression I got," Harry agreed with a grin.

It then morphed into a frown. "I've already told you about meeting Ron," he said wanly.

Ginny nodded but didn't comment. She knew just how immature and jealous her brother could be and it didn't need repeating.

"The only ones I never met were the Twins," Harry said with a pained smile.

Ginny felt her heart clench, the memory of seeing Fred's body filling her mind. She smiled sadly, missing him so much.

Harry saw the look on Ginny's face. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he said guiltily.

Ginny saw the guilty look and tone of his voice and she realized that he somehow felt responsible. "It wasn't your fault," she said compassionately.

She saw his look of disbelief. "He chose to fight for what he believed in, for what was right. We were at war and unfortunately people die in wars. I certainly don't hold you responsible and I'm sure no one else does either," she said with conviction.

She was surprised to see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He gave her a wan smile. "While I know that here," he said tapping his head, "Here doesn't want to believe it," he added tapping his heart.

"I just feel that if I had figured some things out sooner, if I'd been a little quicker, done a few things differently, that so many wouldn't have needed to die," he whispered emotionally.

Ginny felt her heart breaking for him. She was starting to understand him so much better and it pained her to see him still so caught up with the guilt he felt about what had happened four years ago.

She reached out across the table and covered his hand with hers, giving it a soft squeeze. "You can't change the past. You did the best you could at the time and dwelling on what might have been isn't healthy. It's just tearing you up inside, even I can see that and I haven't known you long. You need to find some way to let it go," she said imploringly.

Harry stared at her sadly. He hastily wiped away the couple of tears that rolled down his cheeks when he blinked his eyes to clear them.

"Don't you think I haven't tried," he whispered huskily. "I wish I knew what to do," he lamented lowly.

Ginny looked at him sadly. "I think part of the problem is that you spend too much time alone," she said softly.

"I'm not alone, I have Kreacher and Winky," Harry protested feebly.

""I know that but they're not quite the same as having a friend to spend time with," Ginny said gently.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew Ginny was right. He sighed deeply. "Yeah well, I don't have many friends to spend time with," he stated dejectedly.

Ginny gave him a smirk. "I ought to be offended by that remark," she said a bit cheekily.

She felt her heart soar when she saw the look of realization on his face. "You'd want to spend time with me?" he asked, sounding much like a young child.

"Yeah, I would," Ginny said, smiling at him warmly.

The whole time they had been talking they had been eating the fine meal that Winky had made, polishing off a fair portion of it.

Harry glanced at the table, noticing how empty it was. He was afraid that now that they were done eating that Ginny would leave and he was surprised to find he didn't want that.

"Would – would you like to take a walk with me?" he asked unsurely.

Ginny smiled at him brightly. "I'd like that very much," she replied warmly.

Since she had flooed right into the house, Ginny didn't have a cloak or jacket but Harry lent her one. At first he had handed her a cloak but both chuckled when it proved to be way too large.

He then handed her an old muggle pea coat that fit much better and after he donned another muggle jacket they went out the front door.

They started on his normal circuit but when Harry saw Ginny glancing at the Quidditch hoops he steered them in that direction.

As they cleared the trees that ringed the pitch, Ginny let out an appreciative sigh.

When Harry cocked his head and looked at her, she blushed lightly. "What I wouldn't have given to have a place like this to practice before I joined the Harpies," she said a bit embarrassingly. "We just have an old paddock where we flew and it isn't even a third this size," she explained wistfully.

Harry just stared out across the pitch for several moments and Ginny could tell he was thinking about the past. There was such a look of longing that she saw that it once more tore at her heart and she found herself wondering just what had been the price he had paid to win.

"Sirius used to sneak me out here every once and a while," he whispered hoarsely. "Whenever the training got to me he'd arrange to bring me here, usually in the middle of the night," he added with a mirthless little laugh.

"To me it was the greatest thing, the freedom I felt when flying . . . I thought it was a lark," he continued, intermittently scuffing the ground with his toe.

He'd then look back up out across the pitch and continued. "Remus told me; it was several years after we started, mind you, that Dumbledore gave Sirius such a dressing down but he just stood there defiantly, taking it until Dumbledore wound down and told him he'd keep on doing it because I needed it."

Ginny could hear the pain in Harry's voice. Though she had noticed it before when he talked about certain things, there was always a little more, something a bit deeper whenever he spoke about Sirius.

"He must have loved you quite a bit," she said softly.

Harry's head jerked around and he stared at her as if he was surprised that she knew. Then his looked softened and he nodded his head. "Yeah he did. I think he was the one who loved me the most, more than anyone else," he said with a sigh.

Harry then looked back out onto the pitch. "Would – would you . . ." he began hesitantly, but then he faltered.

"Would I what?" Ginny prompted softly, quite curious.

"It's nothing," Harry said.

"I don't think so. So why don't you just tell me," Ginny said with a small smile.

Harry stared at her for a moment, then a small smile crept onto his face. "I was just wondering if you wouldn't like to come over some time and fly with me?" he finally said.

Harry's request took her by surprise and her face must have shown it because Harry suddenly looked embarrassed.

Recovering quickly, Ginny reached out and gently touched his arm. "I'd like that very much," she said softly.

Harry gave her a brilliant smile but it only lasted for a couple of seconds before he caught himself and his normal stoic appearance returned.

"Good . . . good," he said as if it really didn't matter but she could tell he was quite pleased.

He then turned and began to lead her around the property again. Since Harry seemed to be reminiscing and not about happy things, Ginny began to tell him stories of their family Quidditch games at the Burrow.

She was pleased when she saw him glancing at her every now and then, a smile growing on his face as he listened to her.

As she wound down Harry looked at her and said with a smile, "That must have been brilliant."

She was about to downplay it when she caught herself. She knew that he probably would've given just about anything to have had an opportunity like that. It made her suddenly appreciate what she had while growing up. Sure it hadn't been perfect and they struggled monetarily but their home had always been filled with love, something she was fairly sure that Harry hadn't had while growing up.

They started walking again and Ginny kept glancing at Harry.

"What?" he finally asked.

Ginny considered carefully on what she wanted to say. "I was just wondering," she began softly. "I know everyone knows about your life with training and defeating Voldemort . . ."

"Riddle, Tom Riddle. That was his real name," Harry said, interrupting her. He made up the name Lord Voldemort." Then he smiled at her. "Though it's nice to meet someone who will actually say his name. I get so tired of hearing people call him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' and all the other crap," he said fervently.

Ginny blushed lightly. "I don't know why I referred to him as Voldemort. I normally say Tom. That's how I knew him from writing in his Diary," she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness at the memories from her first year at Hogwarts.

When she glanced at him, he was staring at her with a strange look on his face and she wondered what he was thinking.

Almost as if he had read her mind, he asked hesitantly, "Would you mind telling me about that?" When he saw her jerk in surprise, he quickly added "You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm just curious you could say."

Ginny gave him an appraising look for several moment. "I'll tell you my side if you do the same. I mean how did you end up down there by yourself and saving me?"

Harry nodded. "I guess that's only fair," he replied almost immediately.

Ginny gave him a curt nod in reply, satisfied with his answer.

Harry conjured a small bench and motioned for her to sit down. After they were both settled, Ginny began telling him about her disastrous first year. How she had ended up with the Diary and began writing in it. How nice Tom had seemed at first and how he wormed his way into her confidence.

Ginny noticed how intently Harry was listening to her, how he hung on her every word. His emerald eyes shining with a blazing light she had never noticed before.

She continued telling her story and she found herself giving him details she had never shared with anyone before, not even her brother Bill who had basically saved her from going insane that summer when they had visited him in Egypt.

She finished up with how she had been taken down into the Chamber for what was supposed to be the last time. How she had fought to the very end but how she had finally succumbed and then waking up with him there, hurt, bleeding but treating her so gently and tenderly.

Ginny fell silent, staring down at the ground between her feet. Though it had been hard and a very trying, draining, emotional experience telling Harry everything, she found she actually felt better for having done so.

She was startled out of her thoughts by Harry taking her hand in his. Ginny slowly raised her head and turning to look at him. She was startled to find he was leaning slightly towards her and all she saw was his brilliant emerald eyes.

They were shining with such an intensity it took her breath away. They held such compassion and understanding and something she could only identify as pride.

"You were so brave and so strong," Harry said lowly but fervently, his eyes blazing with more emotion than she had seen in them yet. "I can't begin to imagine what you must have gone through."

For some reason Harry's affirmation struck Ginny deeply and she felt tears spring into her eyes.

When Harry looked at her with a puzzled look, she gave a little laugh and hurriedly brushed the tears from her eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying," she said softly.

"I will admit that it took some doing for Bill to convince me that I had been strong in holding him off for so long but brave? I can't see it. I was lost, confused, hurt and so, so afraid, but brave, no . . . no, I can't see brave," she whispered hoarsely.

"Yes you were Ginny. Having the strength is one thing but to use that strength took bravery. It took having something deep within yourself to tell that ruddy bastard, 'You may win but I'll fight you every step of the way. I'll never willingly give in'. And you did that for what, nine months? Most adult witches or wizards wouldn't have lasted nearly as long and many would have given up without a fight, but fight you did. I'm honoured to know you," Harry said with such conviction that Ginny couldn't deny what he was saying.

Ginny felt her heart swell with pride. In some ways she knew she shouldn't but hearing those things from Harry, who had spent the better part of his life fighting against Riddle and his Death Eaters, gave them greater impact than hearing them from Bill, who had said something similar.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you," she said simply but with genuine feelings.

Harry nodded while giving her hand a squeeze. "You're welcome," he replied. Then he gave her a small grin. "I won't have anyone telling me my friend isn't brave, not even themselves."

Ginny looked at him in surprise. "You consider me your friend?" she asked in disbelief.

Harry gave her a firm nod. "Yeah, you've earned that title as little as it's worth."

"I think it's worth quite a bit as you don't give it often from my understanding," she replied softly.

Harry gave her a small smile while cocking his head and giving a roll of his eyes.

Ginny gave a small chuckle at him, earning her a bit of a bigger grin. She then turned more sombre. "You were going to tell me your side of the story," she half said, half asked.

Harry's mood became more pensive. "Not a lot to tell really."

When Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him and gave him a pointed look, he gave her a somewhat defiant look. "No, really. Once you hear it I don't think you'll be all that impressed," he said sheepishly.

When Ginny just continued to stare at him he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Dumbledore came and said he needed my help and "special talent" he said derisively, rolling his eyes.

When Ginny looked at him questioningly, he sighed and said "I'm a Parselmouth," cringing while waiting for her reaction.

When Ginny just nodded, he was surprised. Usually people took that information much worse. Mentally shrugging, he continued, filing that information away for the moment.

"At first he didn't want to say anything but Sirius wasn't going to let me go with him without more information. Dumbledore finally told him that a student had been taken down into the Chamber of Secrets and only a Parselmouth could open the entrance."

Ginny gave him a curt nod when he paused for a second before pressing on. "Sirius and Remus insisted on coming and it looked like Dumbledore was going to protest but I guess he figured time was of the essence and let them come."

He then rolled his eyes and gave a small shake of his head. "Unfortunately Gilderoy Lockhart was waiting and insisted on accompanying us."

Harry laughed at Ginny's reaction on hearing Lockhart's name. She laughed too, saying "Yeah by that time I think everyone had figured out he was a fraud, well all except Hermione who just didn't want to believe it. She still thought that a professor could do no wrong at that point."

"Yeah, she was still that way when I first met her. It was Sirius who finally convinced her that they were only human too and that the Sun didn't shine out of their arses," he said with a sad smile. Something Ginny noticed he did whenever he mentioned Sirius.

Ginny couldn't help but give him a small smile.

"Anyway, once we were all down the slide, I rushed forward. I'm not exactly sure what happened but from what Sirius said Lockhart tried to Obliviate everyone but somehow they stopped him. Unfortunately while doing so they set off a cave-in of the ceiling and I ended up trapped on one side with all of them on the other. I decided that since time was of the essence, that I'd go on by myself while they tried to dig through to me, well us."

Ginny nodded, and was glad but a bit surprised at what he had said about Lockhart. She had always wondered what had happened to him as he had suddenly disappeared without any explanation.

"I finally got to the Chamber proper and entered. You were lying on the floor, looking so pale. I was afraid I was too late till I got to you. You were still breathing but I couldn't wake you up. That's when Tom showed himself."

Ginny gave a small unconscious shudder at the memory of Tom down in the Chamber that last time.

Harry gave her hand another soft squeeze along with a wan smile.

"It was while talking to him that he revealed to me he was Voldemort. As you can probably guess, I wasn't thrilled to find that out," he said sarcastically.

In spite of the seriousness of the topic, Ginny found herself giving him a wry grin.

"Well," Harry said hesitantly. "Tom said that while he hadn't expected me, he was going to enjoy taking the opportunity presented to him and kill me. It was then that he summoned the Basilisk."

Ginny grimaced at the memory of the gigantic serpent and everything she had been forced to make it do.

Harry noticed her reaction but decided not to say anything. He knew her memories of the beast had to be just as bad as his, if not worse.

"It was a near thing but fortunately Fawkes arrived and helped me. Not only did he bring me Gryffindor's Sword but he also blinded the Basilisk. I was able to finally kill the damn thing but not before it bit me as I stabbed it."

Harry saw Ginny's eyes go wide as she gasped in horror.

Harry nodded in commiseration. "Luckily Phoenix Tears are the only known cure for Basilisk venom. If it wasn't for Fawkes I would have died," he said softly.

Ginny felt tears begin to leak out of her eyes. She had never known that Harry had almost given his life to save hers.

"Hey! It's okay, I survived. I'm still here," he said softly as he brushed her tears away.

Ginny was shocked at the tender, intimate gesture and she found herself giving him a wan smile.

"Well, as you can probably guess, Tom wasn't too happy that I had managed to kill the Basilisk. He said it didn't matter as he'd just kill me himself as soon as he finished absorbing your soul and came completely back to life. It was then that Fawkes dropped the Diary into my lap and somehow I just knew what I needed to do. I took the Basilisk fang that had broken off when it bit me and stabbed the damn Diary with it."

He then gave her a lop-sided grin that she found quite endearing. "It had the desired effect and Tom ceased to exist. As soon as he was gone you regained consciousness, and I guess you know what happened after that."

"Actually I don't remember much," Ginny replied with a small frown. "I remember seeing you and you comforting me but then there is nothing till I woke up in the hospital wing."

Harry looked at her in surprise. "Oh," he said, a bit wide-eyed. "It wasn't that long before most of the others arrived and Dumbledore had Fawkes flame us back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I wanted to go with you to the hospital wing to make sure you were okay but Dumbledore said he didn't think that was a good idea. I started to protest but Sirius said we should probably get going as he wanted to get me checked out too."

"Why didn't he want Madam Pomfrey to check you over?" Ginny asked, perplexed.

Harry shrugged. "I guess he didn't trust her because she was an employee of Dumbledore's. He'd had some disagreements with him and didn't want me in his presence any more than necessary."

Ginny looked at him wistfully. "I wish he would have let you come with me. I really would have liked to talk to you." She then gave a small chuckle. "Hell, at that point, I didn't even know who you were and no one said anything about you at all so I kept it to myself, hoping that someday I'd meet the boy who saved me."

"So do I live up to your expectations?" Harry asked somewhat hesitantly.

Ginny sighed and gave him a warm smile. "While I grew up hearing about The-Boy-Who-Lived, I'm glad I finally got to meet you and learn about the real you. You're so much more than the stories about you and I, for one, am happy to know Harry, not The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Harry couldn't help but smile at what she said. It warmed him inside, starting to melt the ice his heart was encased in.

"Thank you," he whispered fervently. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Though she didn't say anything, she was pretty sure she did understand what it meant to him. Reaching out, she squeezed his hand with a smile.

Harry smiled back at her, relishing her gentle touch. He sighed and looked up at the sky. "We'd better continue our walk if we want to get back before it gets too dark," he said softly.

Ginny nodded and noticed the wistful quality to his voice, almost as if he was loathed for their time together to end.

Harry rose and helped Ginny to her feet. They continued to amble around the property, mostly in companionable silence but every so often talking about what they saw around them.

By the time they arrived back at the house it was almost dark. After hanging up their coats they looked at each other.

Ginny could see something in Harry's eyes that hadn't been there before, though she had a hard time determining exactly what it was. The one thing she was sure of though was that he seemed that he was sorry that she was leaving.

"I should be going," Ginny finally said. She wasn't all that surprised when she saw a touch of sadness come over him.

Harry nodded his head. "Thank you for coming," he said softly.

When he didn't say anything else, Ginny reluctantly turned and headed over to the fireplace. She had just taken a handful of floo powder and was preparing to throw it into the grate when Harry called out. "Wait!"

She turned and looked at him expectantly.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out. "Would you . . . ah, that is . . . would you care to join me for lunch tomorrow and then afterwards we could, maybe, go flying?" he said hopefully.

Ginny smiled widely. She had been wondering how she'd arrange to see him again and then he had gone and surprised her by inviting her back for the next day.

"It will be my pleasure," she said warmly.

Harry couldn't believe how hard it had been to ask her to come back. He also could hardly believe that she had said yes. He had been so worried that she'd decline his invitation.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he said lowly, though Ginny could tell he was relieved that she had accepted.

"Till tomorrow," Ginny said before she turned back to the fireplace, threw the floo powder in and left.

Suddenly feeling a bit light-headed he sat down, flopping heavily into his chair.

It took several moments but his head eventually started to feel normal. "Well that didn't go like I thought it would," he said lowly to himself. He realized that if anything he was more enamoured with the beautiful redhead than before.

For some reason that didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. He was thinking about all they had talked about when he was interrupted by Kreacher coming into the room.

"Kreacher, will you please inform Winky that we will be having company for lunch tomorrow," he informed the elf.

"Kreacher will be happy to tell Winky," the old elf replied. What Harry didn't see was the wide smile that grew on Kreacher's face.

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: Well Harry's meeting with Ginny didn't go anything like he had thought. The more he finds out about her the more enthralled he's becoming. It will be interesting to see how things progress.**

 **As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

4

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 4**

Ginny arrived back at the Burrow with a smile on her face. She couldn't help but think about the man she had just left; he was so different from what she had expected.

Sure, she knew she couldn't trust almost anything that Ron said to her but she was also surprised at how wrong the Prophet was too. " _Okay,"_ she admitted to herself, " _I know the Prophet hasn't always been the paragon of truth but they have been much better since the end of the war."_

She was still thinking about everything when she entered the kitchen and found her mother sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of tea.

Molly looked up when she heard someone come in through the back door. Seeing it was Ginny, she gave her a big smile. "Hi, Dear, how was your afternoon?" she asked sweetly.

Immediately Ginny's senses went on alert. Her Mum sounded way too sweet. She grabbed a cup and sat down next to her mother, pouring herself a cup of tea from the pot on the table.

She prepared it just how she liked it best, two sugars, no milk. She knew it wasn't a 'proper' English tea but she didn't care. Because of running late while at school one morning, she had neglected to add milk to her tea and she found she preferred it that way. The milk muted and muddied the flavour of the tea. She liked the sharp, slightly acidic taste much better.

She glanced at her Mum while she stirred her tea, watching her actions carefully. She could tell that her Mum was waiting expectantly for her to answer her question.

It was a small game that Ginny had started to play just for the fun of it. How long could she keep her mother waiting without her getting too irritated.

Ginny took a sip of her tea, keeping her mother in view out of the corner of her eye. When she saw her frown, she smiled to herself and turned toward her.

"It was okay," she replied non-committally, taking another sip of her tea.

Though the frown slipped from her mother's face, Ginny could see the cogs and gears turning as she thought. She wasn't sure if it was about her answer or if she had another question she was contemplating asking.

Finally Molly's attention focused back on her daughter. "Where were you?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and even.

"I went to tea at a friend's house," Ginny replied truthfully. She didn't see any reason to lie.

Her mother's eyebrows rose a little in surprise. She thought about how she wanted to ask her next question. She didn't want to get into a row but she did want some answers.

"Really?" she asked, her voice rising just a bit. She chided herself for allowing that to happen but ploughed on anyway. "First you take off to a 'friend's' house from your brother's wedding and then today you went to tea with another friend, or was it the same friend?"

Ginny was pretty sure she didn't like where the conversation was heading but decided to answer anyway.

"It was the same friend," she replied calmly.

Molly looked at her with a small frown. "I suspected as much," she said disapprovingly.

Ginny wasn't sure if that was really true but let it slide.

"What's the big deal with me going to tea at a friend's?" she asked, genuinely curious at what her mother would say.

"Well, I haven't met this friend of yours," Molly said indignantly.

"But you have," Ginny replied with a smug smile.

Molly looked at her in shock, trying to remember if she had recently met anyone new her daughter's age. Then a thought took root in her mind and kept growing.

"It was a boy, wasn't it?" she asked accusingly.

Ginny took a deep breath. "No, Mum. It wasn't a **boy** ," she replied, enunciating "boy". "He's a man," she added a bit irritably. _"Merlin! When is she going to allow me to grow up! I'm twenty for Godric's sake!"_ she thought, her anger rising.

Molly's shock doubled and then tripled. "You aren't . . . you know . . . acting improperly, are you?" she asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Ginny clenched her teeth, fighting her growing anger. "No Mother," she spat. "I haven't been acting improperly as you put it. He's just a friend, nothing more."

Molly calmed down somewhat, ninety-nine percent sure that Ginny was telling the truth from her emotionally charged answer.

"But then why all the secrecy?" she asked. "I mean you said I've met him. Who is he?"

Ginny sat contemplating what her mother had said. Sure she still treated her like a child sometimes but there had been a time she told her virtually everything and she found she missed that mother-daughter connection.

Looking up into her mother's eyes, "I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret," she whispered with a conspiratorial smile.

Molly was surprised at the sudden change in Ginny's demeanour. It brought back memories of her sharing confidences when she had been much younger.

"Alright, I promise," she said with a smile, lowering her voice.

Ginny's smile grew. "It's Harry Potter," she said happily.

Molly's eyes widened in shock, and she frowned at Ginny. "No, no, that's not a good idea," she said, shaking her head.

Ginny sat up, back into her chair, a bewildered look on her face. "Why?" she managed to ask.

Molly's frown deepened. "Ron . . . Ron's told me about him and he isn't a suitable person for you to be friends with," she said irritably.

Ginny huffed in irritation. "Yeah, well what Ron really knows about Harry wouldn't fill a thimble," she replied hotly. "He's absolutely nothing like Ron believes and even how he's been portrayed in the Prophet," Ginny said indignantly. "As far as I know he's never really spent all that much time with Harry. Only when he accompanied Hermione when she was researching things and he didn't like how friendly they were."

"Well, yes, but that is just another thing. He was trying to steal her from Ron," Molly said unhappily.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "He wasn't trying to steal her."

When her mother gave her a dubious look, Ginny gave her a piercing glare. "Mum, think about it. Harry was just being friendly. Godric, how would you have acted if you'd never got to spend any time with someone your own age and suddenly there was someone there and you found out you had some common interests?"

Molly's eyes widened in understanding, making her blush and look ashamed of herself.

"That's right, Mum," Ginny said compassionately. "From what Harry told me, he tried to include Ron but you know how he can be."

Molly nodded her head, knowing all too well about her youngest son's jealousy.

Ginny sat patiently, sipping her tea while her mother digested everything that she had heard about Harry Potter.

She gave a small sigh. "I guess I really can't stop you from being friends with him but I hope you'll be careful," Molly said with a wan smile. Though she was beginning to accept that Harry wasn't the ogre that Ron had portrayed, she still wasn't sure about him.

"Thanks," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"That's enough out of you, young lady," Molly reprimanded.

Ginny finished her tea and rose. "Just so you know, I'm going over to Harry's for lunch tomorrow," she said matter-of-factually.

Molly huffed and gave her daughter a frown. "You seem to be spending a lot of time with him," she said disapprovingly.

Ginny just gave her mother a shrug. "It's not like I have a lot to do right now and I like spending time with him. He's actually really sweet once you get past his gruff exterior."

The Weasley matriarch sighed, knowing that nothing she said would dissuade her daughter from doing what she wanted. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," she said softly.

If Ginny heard, she didn't let on. She gave her mother a quick hug before heading up to her room, looking forward to spending some more time with Harry.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry paced nervously as he waited for Ginny to arrive. Winky had kicked him out of the kitchen when he went in for what was probably the sixth time to check on her preparations for lunch.

Though she had been slightly irritated with him, she was secretly pleased because of the way he was acting. This Ginny person had brought about a long needed change in her master. The fact that he was so nervous and wanted everything perfect showed that he was quite taken with the young redhead, even if he didn't want to admit it.

At five minutes to twelve the floo flared and Ginny stepped out. Harry noticed she was carrying a broom and a heavy coat. "It's good to see you again," he said with a small shy smile.

Ginny had to keep herself from laughing but she did smile warmly at him. The fact that he was rumoured to be the most powerful Wizard alive, what with the deaths of Dumbledore and Riddle, and he was the most unassuming, shy and gentle person she had ever met just left her gobsmacked.

"It was nice of you to invite me," she replied honestly.

Harry nodded but Ginny could see him staring at her broom. Without a word she offered it to him and he took it and inspected it closely. She could see the look that descended on his face. After a few moments, he handed it back to her. She smiled and shook her head, almost guessing what he wanted to ask.

"It's my old broom from school," she explained. "The Harpies won't allow us to use our team brooms for anything but sanctioned events."

"That's just stupid," he said with a frown.

When Ginny looked at him in surprise he continued. "I'd think they'd want you to get as much experience on your broom as possible. The more you fly on it the more instinctual you'll become while using it. Godric, I can't understand people sometimes," he said, sounding very annoyed.

Ginny found herself smiling at him. "While I agree with you, I'm only a lowly reserve Chaser and don't make the rules," she with a shrug.

Harry looked at her hesitantly. "Would you be offended it I offered you the use of a slightly better broom?" he asked quietly.

Ginny rolled her eyes though she was still smiling. "Harry, if you have something better than this old Cleansweep 7, I'll gladly use it," she replied gratefully.

When she saw him breathe a sigh of relief, she thought to herself, _"I really need to work on his self-esteem."_

"Here, let me take your things. Winky has lunch about ready," he said, holding out his hands.

Ginny gave him her coat and broom and after he hung up her coat and set her broom against the wall, he led her into the kitchen.

Ginny was slightly surprised that they weren't headed back into the formal dining room but kept that fact to herself. She was pleased to see that the table was once again set for four.

Lunch was a pleasant but quick affair. Once again Ginny took delight in talking to the two house elves and this time even Harry took part, though he was the quietest of the group, only talking when spoken to for the most part.

Once they were done. Ginny could see an excitement in Harry that she had never seen before and she supposed it was because they were going flying.

Harry led her toward the back of the house, pausing just inside the back door, where he opened a small closet and pulled out two brooms.

Ginny's eyes widened in delight when Harry handed her one of the brooms. It was an original Firebolt. She could feel how powerful it was by the way it seemed to hum as she held it.

Glancing at Harry, she saw he held an identical broom.

He smiled at her and said, "Let's go flying."

Ginny smiled and nodded at him. She could see how eager he was and she felt exactly the same.

As soon as they exited the door, Harry mounted his broom. He paused and looked at Ginny who followed his lead. As soon as she was seated on her broom, Harry pushed off hard and headed for the Quidditch pitch, with Ginny right behind him.

She marvelled at the power and acceleration of the Firebolt. Like almost all of the professional Quidditch teams, the Harpies flew on the latest Nimbus, the Lightningbolt.

She was well aware that Spudmore Brooms, the makers of the Firebolt was too small of an operation to make the numbers required to outfit all the teams in the League. That was one of the reasons that a large manufacturer like Nimbus was the primary supplier. Though there were a small number of players that purchased and flew Firebolts, mainly Seekers.

It didn't take long for Ginny to determine that Harry was a superb flyer. As soon as they reached the pitch, he shot skyward, virtually straight up. He then did a half roll, ending up on his back before he dropped straight down in a perfect Wronski Feint.

Even having seen it done during an actual game, Ginny was certain that he wasn't going to pull out in time. Of course her fears were unfounded and Harry levelled out just above the ground, the toes of his boots skimming the grass.

Though impressed with his skill, the thing that struck her the most was the huge smile on his face, the first true one she could remember seeing.

She then watched as he flattened himself out on his broom, racing to the far end of the pitch as fast as he could go, he then pulled up hard, corkscrewing back into the sky.

Seeing him having so much fun, Ginny took off as fast as she could. She was elated with the instant response of the Firebolt and she rocketed to the far end of the pitch and circled around the goal hoops. As she came back around, she angled up, doing a series of barrel rolls before she dove down towards the other hoops.

She was taken a little by surprise when Harry came up next to her. He smiled and with a jerk of his head, he enticed her to follow him.

Ginny nodded her acceptance and they began a game of follow the leader. Harry began a series of ever increasingly difficulty moves.

Ginny remained right behind him, matching him move for move. She couldn't remember the last time she had such fun while flying. It wasn't until he performed another perfect Wronski Feint that she didn't match his every move.

Though she acquitted herself very well, she pulled up a bit higher than he had. As she levelled out she saw Harry slowing down in front of her.

Far from calling her on pulling up early, he smiled at her and asked, "Want to lead for a bit?"

Ginny returned his smile and took off. She raced halfway down the pitch before pulling up hard and raced for the sky. She chanced a glance behind her and saw Harry not three broom lengths behind, a huge smile on his face.

Ginny decided to go for broke and attempt a manoeuvre she had only done a few times.

As she reached the apex of her climb, she pulled back hard, ending up on her back, which was the easy part. Next she half rolled, and as she came level, she slid her hands to the very front of her broom and pitched herself forward, over the broom.

She was too involved to see the look of horror on Harry's face as he thought she had over extended herself.

Ginny fell, counting the spins. One . . . Two . . . Three. She then jerked the broom back under her and levelled out heading in the opposite direction.

When she looked back she saw a worried Harry racing after her.

She slowed down and let him catch up.

As soon as Harry was level with her he asked, "Are you all right?" worriedly.

Ginny just smiled, "Certainly, what's the matter, didn't you do the same thing?" she asked smugly.

Harry just stared at her, slack-jawed for a moment. "You meant to do that?" he asked incredulously.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah," she replied with a huge smile.

Harry's face broke out in a huge grin. "You've got to show me how you did that."

"Weren't you watching?" she teased.

Ginny saw Harry's eyes widen in surprise but then he gave her a grin. "I saw the beginning but after you fell off your broom I was trying to decide on the best way to get rid of your body," he said, staring into her eyes.

Ginny stared back, wide-eyed, slack-jawed for a moment before she laughed. "Good one, Harry," she said humorously.

Harry just stared at her with the same grin and gave a little shrug of his shoulders.

The laughter died on Ginny's lips and she gave him a concerned look. "You were kidding? Weren't you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Harry replied, his grin growing into a brilliant smile.

Ginny relaxed though she still wasn't sure that Harry was taking the mickey out of her or not. The more she thought about it, the more she found it endearing. It was something she was used to, bringing back memories of her battles with the Twins.

Though she felt a touch of sadness as she remembered Fred, she didn't let it show. She had come to terms with his death and didn't let it affect her any more. Sure she missed him but she chose to remember the good times and not dwell on his passing.

A small smile crept onto her face. "All right, Potter. I'll show you the move, as long as you don't do anything rash with my body," she said playfully.

She was surprised when she saw a frown flicker across his face. It was only there for the briefest of moments and when he smiled again it was not as bright as it had been.

"What's wrong?" she asked, bewilderedly.

Harry almost brushed it off but for some reason he decided not too. "Sorry, I've never liked being called by my last name. It brings back some unpleasant memories," he replied apologetically.

Ginny wondered what had happened to cause such a reaction but it really didn't matter to her. If it made him unhappy she vowed never to do it again.

"I'm sorry. It's an old habit but since you don't like it I'll try not to do it again," she replied contritely.

Harry nodded as he gave her a wan smile.

Ginny could see the pain in his eyes as he looked at her and it tore at her heart.

"The thing is, the only ones who ever called me by my last name were Riddle and his followers," he said softly, dropping his gaze, unable to meet her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said, her voice breaking slightly.

Harry just shrugged. "You didn't know," he replied softly. He sighed deeply and then looked back up into her eyes. "Let's just forget about it. Why don't you show me how you did that move?"

Ginny nodded and gave him a smile, though it was touched with sadness. She took a deep breath and settled herself.

"Okay," she said more positively. "Not really much to it. You just need to be able to throw yourself over the front of your broom as you decelerate hard. Not many can bring themselves to do that," she said with a grin.

"Oh, and it's really important to remember to hang onto your broom too," she added with a laugh.

"I'll try to remember that," Harry replied with a chuckle.

As they talked, they circled higher and drifted towards the one end of the pitch.

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "And though I said you throw yourself over the front of the broom, you want to kind of roll the shoulder of the hand you let go of the broom with. That's what adds the spin. That helps with slowing the fall slightly, making it easier to recover," she instructed.

Harry was nodding as he paid intense attention to Ginny's instructions. "All right, I think I've got it," he said thoughtfully.

"Why don't I do it once more and you can watch closely without having to think about where to hide my body," she said teasingly.

Harry chuckled lowly. "I said I was thinking about how to get rid of your body, not hide it," he said wagging his eyebrows at her.

Ginny gave him a perplexed look. "There's a difference?" she asked.

"Oh yes," replied Harry with a grin.

Ginny gave an involuntary shudder. "I don't think I want to know," she replied with a nervous laugh.

"That's probably a good thing," Harry replied with a laugh.

Ginny shook her head to refocus herself. "All right, pay attention," she said before she took off down the pitch.

Harry watched intently as she flew off and still felt his heart leap into his throat as she tumbled down even though he knew what she was going to do.

When she had recovered, Ginny looked back at Harry. She could see the look of determination in his face as he took off, following her path.

He didn't do half bad for his first attempt, she thought. He rolled a little late and awkwardly but still managed to pull the move off. The best part to her though was the brilliant smile on his face as he levelled off and flew over to her.

"That's insane!" he cried but you could tell he had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

"Never said it wasn't," Ginny replied, her smile matching his.

"Come on. I've got to do that again," Harry cried as he zoomed to the other end of the pitch.

Ginny smiled at his enthusiasm as she followed him. She was happy to see this different Harry, one so happy and carefree. He was so different from his usual cool and stoic self that she had seen so far.

Harry performed the manoeuvre several more times, each time looking more and more at ease while doing it. He zoomed down next to Ginny after he had done it for the fourth time.

"That was a lot of fun, though I don't know if a Seeker would really need it," he said, smiling at her.

"Well, you never know what you'll need to do during a game so I figure it's best to have as many moves as you can," Ginny said in reply.

Harry nodded and then suddenly smiled devilishly at her. "Tag, you're It," he said as he hit her arm and took off at high speed.

Ginny just grinned and took off after him. They spent the better part of the next hour playing tag, even venturing out of the Quidditch pitch but remaining on the Potter property.

Ginny couldn't remember how many times they had traded who was It back and forth and truthfully she didn't care. All she knew was that she was having a fantastic time flying with Harry.

She thought she was pretty fearless when it came to what she was willing to try to pull off on a broom but Harry was just as willing, if not even more so.

Ginny saw Harry angling at her and she tried to roll out of the way of his reaching hand but he must have anticipated her move as he rolled right with her, gently tapping her on the head.

Then instead of rocketing off, he slowed down slightly to remain by her side. He grinned at her and said "I don't know about you but I've worked up a bit of a thirst. How about we take a little break?"

"Sounds good," she replied. She was feeling a bit thirsty too. She knew she'd put in a really good workout, probably equal to any training sessions with the Harpies.

As Harry angled back towards the centre of the property where the house sat, Ginny fell in beside him.

She noticed he kept glancing over at her, a small grin on his face. "What?" she finally asked, though she couldn't help grinning back.

"You're really something," he replied after several moments.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile, almost automatically. Though as she replayed the compliment over in her mind she realized there was something different, maybe even special about the way he had said it that struck her and she wondered if it included more than just her flying ability. She found herself hoping that it was true.

As they neared the house, Harry swerved over to the left and spiralled down, landing in front of a small gazebo that she hadn't noticed before.

Harry dismounted and stood waiting until Ginny landed next to him before he led her up into the gazebo.

Ginny's eyes widened in delight as she took in the setting around her. In the centre of the structure was a round fire pit with a polished copper hood. Around the outside of the area were a number of rattan chairs and love seats, each with a small table.

Off to the far side she spotted a small cold box that Harry was opening. "What do you want?" he asked, looking back at her. "There's butterbeer, pumpkin juice, water and several types of Muggle drinks."

Ginny was tempted to try one of the Muggle drinks just so she could tell her father about it but opted for a butterbeer.

Harry grabbed two butterbeers and as he came over to her he motioned for her to take a seat.

Ginny chose to sit on one of a pair of chairs that shared a small table and as she sat, Harry handed her one of the butterbeers that he held. Almost simultaneously they both popped the corks from the bottles and took a long satisfying swig of the delicious liquid. Both sighed contentedly as they settled back into their chairs.

It was Ginny who noticed that they were acting exactly the same and she gave a small chuckle. It took a moment for Harry to figure out why but when he did he smiled too.

Harry found himself staring at the slip of a woman next to him. Though petite, she projected a much larger presence. He also found that he loved hearing her laugh or chuckle, something he normally didn't like about women. Most giggled or laughed in a way that irritated him but with Ginny it was totally different. There seemed to be some musical quality to it that he found quite endearing.

He continued to look at her intently as they sat there in silence. He first focused on her amazing chocolate brown eyes. Eyes that were so alive and filled with her emotions.

He also noticed for the first time that they were flecked with bronze and gold that added an extra dimension to them, adding to how stunning he found them.

Harry then let his gaze wander further around her face, noticing first her burnished copper eyelashes. To him they were the perfect compliment to her eyes, framing them and making them stand out brilliantly.

Her eyebrows were a shade or two darker which he found just perfect too. Then there was her nose that he could only describe as cute. It was slightly up-turned and had a smattering of freckles that flowed down onto each cheek, adding a hint of colour to her otherwise pale skin.

Then there was her mouth, or her lips as he thought about it. They were just full enough to be enticing without dominating her face. He felt drawn to them and wondered how they'd feel against his own lips. Something he had long ago given up any thought of experiencing again.

All in all he found her quite beautiful and that thought both excited him and frightened him to a certain extent.

He wondered if it was because he was truly drawn to her as a person or if it was just because she was the first one he had allowed to get this close. Was it because he was so starved for companionship that he was thinking about her that way?

Ginny was quite aware of the scrutiny she was under but didn't let on that she knew. As he studied her she let her thoughts about the young man next to her fill her attention.

She knew she was starting to like him, a lot. She knew part of it was because of who he was, The-Boy-Who-Lived, Saviour of the Wizarding World, but there was more to it than that.

In many ways he was still an unknown but what she had learned only endeared him to her all the more. He was nothing like he was portrayed by the public in general.

Yes, he was a powerful Wizard. You couldn't be in his presence without feeling that. He had an aura about him that just screamed power. But he was also a shy, reserved person, painfully so. He was also so unassuming and had pretty severe self-esteem issues.

While he was an iconic hero, he obviously didn't see himself that way, something else that spoke highly of his character. She'd known plenty of people who liked to play up their role in the fight against Riddle and his Death Eaters, usually exaggerating whatever they had done.

Harry was totally the opposite, reluctant to say anything at all about what he had done.

All in all she found herself intrigued by him and hoped that she could continue to get to know him better.

She knew Kreacher and Winky were very worried about him and she could understand why. He had shut himself off from the world in general, though she could understand why.

The few times he had ventured out shortly after he had defeated Riddle things had turned into a circus. People flocked to him, making a fuss and not giving him a moment's peace. It was no wonder he didn't get out any more.

She heard Harry clear his throat so she turned her attention to him.

Harry let his gaze wander down Ginny's body, liking what he saw. She was slim, with an athletic build but still had curves in all the right places. Realizing he had been quiet and studying her for quite a bit, he nervously cleared his throat.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself today. I know I did," he said sheepishly.

Ginny smiled warmly. "I did have a great time. It's been far too long since I've flown just for the fun of it," she replied.

Harry looked at her hopefully. "Does that mean you'd like to come and do it again sometime?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much," she said with a small grin.

Harry's answering smile filled her with warmth and she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes, " _Damn his self-esteem issues_." she thought once again.

The Sun was creeping towards the horizon and as Ginny finished her butterbeer she sighed. "I probably should be going. My Mum is expecting me for dinner," she said reluctantly.

She couldn't help but notice the sad look that enveloped him and she wished she didn't have to go but she knew she needed to.

They both stood and Ginny impulsively wrapped her arms around Harry, giving him a hug. She felt him stiffen at first but then he slowly relaxed and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, returning her gesture.

"Thank you for inviting me to go flying," she said as she stepped back.

"I'm glad you could come," Harry replied earnestly.

With reluctance on both their parts they headed to the exit where they grabbed their brooms and slowly flew back to the house.

As they entered the door they had exited much earlier, Ginny handed the borrowed Firebolt back to Harry with a wistful sigh. "Thanks for letting me fly on the Firebolt," she said with a tinge of longing.

Harry gave a little shrug. "You're welcome, but just so you know, anytime you want to borrow it, just ask. It's usually just gathering dust here most of the time. It would be nice if someone got some use out of it."

Ginny looked at him curiously. "You mean besides flying it here, that you'd let me borrow it any time I wanted?" she asked incredulously.

Harry nodded, "Yeah," he replied somewhat sheepishly.

Ginny got a thoughtful look on her face before a devious smile began to grow. "I can just see it now. The next time my brothers want to play Quidditch, they'll never know what hit them," she whispered.

Harry smiled at her, appreciating her mischievousness.

As Ginny prepared to floo home, she was surprised when Harry asked "When will I see you again?"

Ginny smiled at him, perhaps a tad smugly. "Whenever you wish," she said warmly. "Since it's the off season, I'm free most of the time. I mean we do have an occasional team meeting but other than that my time is my own."

Harry stared at her for several moments. He really wanted her to come back the next day but didn't want to seem so needy.

"How about the day after tomorrow?" he asked somewhat hesitantly.

"That's fine with me," Ginny replied with a smile. She was fairly sure his hesitation meant the he really wished she could come back the next day but didn't want to seem like he was that lonely.

With their plans set, Ginny threw the floo powder into the grate, calling out "The Burrow," and with a flash of green flames, she was gone.

To Harry it suddenly seemed like the lights in the room had gone dim. He stood there staring at the spot where Ginny had disappeared, thinking about just what it was that he found so mesmerizing about her.

With a sigh, he headed back to his office. Maybe if he did something to distract himself, he wouldn't spend so much time thinking about her.

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: Harry and Ginny are getting to know one another better, though Harry is doubting his motivation for doing so. The thing is, will he continue to allow her in or will he get cold feet and try to push her away like he has with everyone else?**

 **As always, please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

5

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 5**

When Ginny arrived home, she wasn't surprised to find her mother waiting for her in the kitchen.

Though it was nearly the time her mother started dinner, the pot of tea with two cups sitting on the table tipped her off as to the real reason why the Weasley matriarch was there.

"Hi, Mum," she said pleasantly.

"How was your afternoon?" Molly asked while she poured her daughter a cup of tea.

"I had a fantastic time," Ginny replied truthfully, a huge smile breaking out on her face as she recalled flying with Harry.

"What did you do, if you don't mind me asking," Molly questioned somewhat hesitantly. She knew Ginny could get quite defensive when questioned too closely about what she had been up too.

Ginny had to fight the irritation she felt and managed to keep from rolling her eyes. She knew her mother meant well, but once again she wondered when she'd be allowed to grow up in her mother's eyes.

"We had a very nice lunch and then we went flying," she said happily.

"I thought you might have," Molly replied with a small smile.

When Ginny looked at her questioningly, she added, "Your face is wind burnt and your hair is a bit tangled.

Ginny just shrugged, determined not to let her mother spoil her good mood. "If you don't need my help, I think I'll head up to my room," Ginny said, draining the last of her tea.

Molly sighed, knowing she was getting nowhere with her daughter. "I'm fine, you go ahead and enjoy yourself," she replied, rising to start dinner.

Ginny went up to her room and grabbed a book to read, the latest release of the Witches of Wolfhill series. She loved that they were historical fiction, with one of the Wizarding World's popular tourist spots being located outside the small village in Scotland, 'The Witches' Stane'. Of course there were several such Stones so named in Scotland but the one outside of Wolfhill was where legend said the witches mentioned in Macbeth were chained.

Hermione had told her that they were the Wizarding World's equivalent of what she termed trashy Muggle Romance novels. Ginny had read a few of the Muggle ones but found she preferred the Wizarding versions better.

Though she did valiantly try to read, her thoughts kept going back to Harry Potter and how she was sure she was falling for him, as much as she tried to deny the fact.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry spent the remainder of the afternoon in his office, ostensibly working but in actuality getting nothing done. He shuffled the papers around on his desk several times but he found he couldn't concentrate, his thoughts continuously returning to Ginny.

He had been so distracted that Winky had to call him to dinner twice, something that irritated the little elf to no end, having her go as far as to threaten him with having Kreacher cook for the next week.

Harry contritely apologized several times, with Winky finally accepting his apology with a huff and a stern look, admonishing him for his thoughtlessness.

Harry had just smiled wanly, acknowledging that she was right and that he'd try to do better in the future.

After dinner he gave up on the idea of working and tried to read instead but didn't have any better luck doing that either. He found himself restless and unable to concentrate on his reading at all. Finally giving up and heading to bed at the unheard of time of nine o'clock.

Kreacher was extremely concerned with his master. He hadn't acted in such a manner since the first several months after he had defeated Riddle. As he laid out Harry's pyjamas he asked "Does Master require a Dreamless Sleeping Potion?"

Harry had glared at the elf, snapping "No, I don't require a damn Sleeping Potion."

Kreacher just gave him a sad look. "As Master wishes," he said with a bow before he left.

Harry had turned his back as he changed and didn't see the elf leave. Feeling guilty for snapping at Kreacher, he started to apologize as he turned around.

"I'm sorry, Kreacher, you know . . ." he started but the words died on his lips when he noticed he was alone.

Sighing sadly, he crawled into bed, silently vowing to apologize to Kreacher in the morning.

Unfortunately for Harry, sleep eluded him and he tossed and turned for hours. His mind racing as he thought about Ginny and more than once he regretted not taking Kreacher's advise about taking the potion.

He did finally fall to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. At first he dreamed of Ginny and spending time with her, then his dreams changed with the horrors he had seen and experienced during the war combining with his ones of Ginny.

One of his worst memories was coming across a teenage girl who the Death Eaters had raped and killed. It was painfully obvious she had been abused for hours before she had finally died.

In Harry's dream, that young woman became Ginny and he was woken up by Kreacher as he screamed himself hoarse yelling her name in frustration, rage and heartbreak.

For the first time Kreacher doubted his plan in trying to help his Master and he truly feared what would become of him.

He once more offered Harry a sleeping potion but Harry was too upset to even think about going back to sleep, even with a Dreamless Sleeping potion. "Damn it Kreacher! If I wanted a damn potion I'd ask for it," he snapped angrily.

Once the worried and unhappy Kreacher had left, Harry went and retrieved his Invisibility Cloak. He knew he was being irrational but he had to make sure Ginny was all right.

Donning his cloak, he Apparated to the Burrow, appearing in Ginny's room.

He had to bypass the wards but that hadn't taken hardly any effort at all. He stood there in her room, staring at her as she slept.

" _She's safe,"_ he said to himself, tears coming to his eyes. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut causing the tears to trail down his cheeks, fighting the terror he felt. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his pounding heart.

He stood there for untold minutes, taking in her sleeping form, burning each and every detail into his mind. From the way the silvery moonlight danced on her hair, to the way her lips were slightly parted and glistening in the soft light and to the way her face appeared even more beautiful as she slept peacefully.

He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest and he felt the pressure in his own chest ease slightly.

Something impinged on Ginny's sleep and she awoke, but didn't move or open her eyes, letting her other senses reach out around her.

In the deep stillness of the night she thought she could hear someone breathing close by. She cracked her eyes open just a sliver, but she didn't see anyone.

She listened as hard as she could and still swore she could hear someone breathing and for some reason she thought she could smell Harry Potter.

Thinking she was finally going round the twist because she had been dreaming about him, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Harry thought that something about Ginny's demeanour had changed but as he watched her closely he figured he was mistaken. He stood there watching over her for more than an hour, as still as stone.

With dawn approaching, he drew his wand and cast some very powerful protective spells around her bed. Feeling somewhat better and knowing that she was safe asleep in her bed, he silently Apparated back to his own room.

Tearing off his cloak, he collapsed onto his bed, falling in to a fitful sleep.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny woke up with a small smile on her face, the after-image of her dream playing mutely on the inside of her eyelids. She had been on a picnic with Harry and as they lay on the blanket he had leaned over and kissed her. And what a kiss it had been, it was as if she could still feel his lips on hers.

As the thought of Harry came into her mind, the memory of waking and smelling Harry's musky scent came to the forefront, though there had been a strange component to it.

It took her a moment to place it but she finally did. It was the night she had spent with him after he'd had his nightmare after she brought him home from the wedding. He had smelled just the same, the sweat and fear tingeing his aroma.

She found that bit of information rather strange. Why would she smell that if her dream had been so delightful? It just didn't make any sense to her. Unable to make heads nor tails of it, she stretched and sat up, figuring she'd get a start on her day.

As she rose, her frown increased, she could have sworn she felt the tingling of magic for just a moment, but then the feeling was gone like some sort of phantom. She chided herself gently as she gathered her things and headed out of her room.

Luckily no one was using the loo so she was able to get right in and shower. Once she was done she felt refreshed and with the afterglow of her dream, she was feeling quite good, if only she could shake the small nagging voice in the back of her head that kept telling her something was amiss.

Not that far away in Godric's Hollow, Kreacher was looking worriedly at Harry. His eyes had dark bags under them and he could tell his master had hardly slept at all.

Glancing at the tray that held his master's breakfast, he saw that he had hardly eaten anything except a couple of bites of toast, though he had drank his tea.

"Please forgive me and accept my apology," Harry said hoarsely and quietly, his voice strained from his screams during the night.

Kreacher had to fight his emotions, seeing the pain in Harry's eyes, not only for having snapped at him for offering a _Dreamless Sleeping Potion_ but for whatever had haunted his nightmare.

"There is nothing to forgive, Master Harry. Kreacher understands what Master goes through when Master has one of his nightmares," the old elf said softly and compassionately.

Harry gave him a small, wan smile, though his eyes still showed nothing but pain and despair.

"That doesn't excuse my behaviour though," he croaked out with a heavy sigh.

As Kreacher grabbed his tray Harry whispered, "Could you have Winky make me another pot of tea and have her lace it liberally with honey."

"At once, Master Harry," Kreacher replied, trying desperately to keep his voice even.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, barely audible. He wrapped the blanket he had tighter around his body and relaxed heavily into the couch.

By the time Kreacher returned with the tea, Harry had taken a turn for the worse. He was sweating heavily and beginning to shiver. On top of that his breathing had become laboured.

It took some effort but Harry sipped some of his tea but it did nothing to help and his condition continued to deteriorate. As it did, Harry's feelings of despair returned in full force.

He thought briefly of Ginny and the time they had spent together but it wasn't enough to give him any hope. The demons of his past overwhelmed him.

As he continued to deteriorate, Kreacher's concern grew until he feared for his master. "Master Harry, should I go get Madam Pomfrey or a Healer from St Mungo's?" he asked worriedly, needing Harry's permission to bring anyone through the wards.

Harry's eyes reflected the fever that burned within him. "No, I forbid you or Winky from bringing Madam Pomfrey or any type of healer here," he said as forcefully as he could. Even as his voice died away, his eyes fluttered shut.

Kreacher knew he couldn't go against a direct command, but he smiled wanly as he thought of a way around it.

Without a second thought, he popped away, going to the one place he was sure that he could obtain help without defying his master.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny had just returned to her room after having breakfast and was beginning to gather her dirty laundry to take down to wash it when she was startled by a loud popping sound from behind her.

Spinning around she found herself staring at Kreacher.

"Please forgive Kreacher for startling Mistress," the old elf said, bowing so low his nose brushed against the floor.

Right away Ginny noticed the look on Kreacher's face and it didn't bode well. "What is it Kreacher?" she asked with great concern.

"Master Harry needs your help," Kreacher replied, wringing his hands worriedly.

"Needs my help with what?" Ginny asked with a small frown.

"Master Harry has fallen ill," Kreacher stated lowly, looking very troubled.

"Kreacher, tell me what's going on," Ginny commanded, growing tired of only receiving incomplete answers.

"Master had one of his nightmares last night after having difficulty falling asleep. This morning when Kreacher took Master his breakfast, Master could barely talk. Master also appeared feverish and has fallen unconscious," Kreacher explained worriedly.

"If Harry is so ill, why have you come to me?" Ginny asked bewilderedly.

"Master Harry has forbidden Kreacher or Winky from going to get Madam Pomfrey or a Healer from St Mungo's," the elf explained, growing more and more concerned.

"Mistress is the only person left that can get through the wards," he added hopefully.

Ginny sighed and shook her head, silently castigating stubborn males.

"All right Kreacher, take me to Harry," she said somewhat irritably. Yes, she was concerned about Harry's condition but she was currently calling into question his intelligence.

As Kreacher took a hold of Ginny's hand, he suddenly gave her a small smile.

"What?" Ginny asked, wondering about the elf's change in demeanour.

"Kreacher is surprised by the strength of the wards surrounding Mistress' bed," he replied slyly.

"What are you talking about? I don't have any wards around my bed," Ginny said with a frown.

Kreacher just smiled as he Apparated her away.

The appeared in the parlour of Potter manor, right in front of the couch on which Harry lay.

Ginny immediately rushed to his side when she got a look at him. His face was flushed, he was sweating profusely and his breathing was very laboured.

She drew her wand and cast a spell to take his temperature. She was alarmed when it read 40.5

"Do you have any Fever Reducing potions?" she asked hurriedly.

"No Mistress," Kreacher replied sadly.

Ginny glanced at the clock and silently cursed, the Apothecary didn't open for close to an hour.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she thought furiously, wishing she had her mother's copy of _Healing at Home with Herbs._ Well for now she'd just have to work from memory.

"Kreacher, do you have any Elder Flowers, Yarrow flowers, Peppermint Leaves or fresh Ginger?" she asked after a moment.

"Yes Mistress, Kreacher is sure that we have all four," the elf replied.

"Have Winky make a tea containing all four, two teaspoons of each in two cups of boiling water," Ginny directed.

Kreacher hurried off to do as Ginny had commanded.

In the mean time, Ginny began to untangle Harry from the duvet he had wrapped himself in.

Kreacher reappeared and Ginny sent him off to bring her a flannel and a bowl of cool water. While he was doing that she stripped him down to his boxers.

When the old elf reappeared she began to wipe Harry's body down, once done with that she used the flannel as a cold compress on Harry's forehead, doing all she could to fight his fever. Once she had him cleaned off, she wrapped him in a clean blanket.

A short time later Winky arrived with the herbal tea.

"Kreacher, help sit Harry up so I can get some of this tea into him," she commanded.

With Winky's help, they got Harry upright and Ginny administered the tea. She then reassessed Harry's condition. With the fever addressed, she wanted to do something to help with his breathing.

"Winky, I think another tea is in order. One of Sage, Thyme, Plantain and Eucalyptus," Ginny ordered.

"We's has all but the Eucalyptus, Miss," Winky replied with trepidation.

"We'll just have to do without it then," Ginny sighed resignedly.

"Yes, Miss," Winky replied before hurrying off.

After she left, Ginny recast the Temperature spell and was pleased when it showed that Harry's fever had already come down a little.

When Winky returned they went through the same procedure and got the second tea into Harry.

It was then that Ginny realized she'd been gone from the Burrow for more than an hour and had probably been missed by now.

Gritting her teeth she went over to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder. Taking one last deep steadying breath, she let it out slowly and tossed the powder into the grate.

As the flames wooshed green, she called out "The Burrow" and stuck her face into the flames.

"Mum! Mum! Are you there Mum!" she called.

It took just a moment before she heard a squeal from the other room and her mother came charging into the parlour, a panicked look on her face.

It quickly changed to one of anger when she spotted Ginny's head in the grate. "Where are you young lady!"

"Mum."

"Do you have any idea how worried everyone is?"

"Mum!"

" And what's the meaning of you sneaking off?"

"Mum, will you please listen for a moment."

"Listen? You listen to me. . ."

"MUM! WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Ginny yelled.

Molly closed her mouth and looked at her daughter in shock. When she opened her mouth, Ginny cut her off.

"Mum, please listen," Ginny implored.

Though Ginny could see her mother wasn't pleased, she finally nodded.

"I'm at Harry's. His elf came and got me because he's very sick and forbade either of his elves from getting him any professional help," Ginny quickly explained.

Ginny saw her mother's maternal instincts kick in.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked succinctly.

"He's running a fever and having difficulty breathing. His temperature was 40.5 when I first got here. . ." Ginny began.

"Do you have any fever reducing potion?" Molly interrupted.

"No Mum, but I had Winky make a tea of Elder and Yarrow flowers, Peppermint Leaves and Ginger," Ginny replied.

Molly gave her a small smile. "Now aren't you glad I had you learn your herbal remedies?" she chided lightly.

"Yes, Mum," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. "We got that into him and then that's when I noticed his difficulty in breathing. I had Winky prepare another tea of Sage, Thyme and Plantain and gave that to him too."

Molly nodded slowly, deep in thought. "No Eucalyptus?" she asked with a small frown.

"No, they don't have any," Ginny replied.

"Well, I think you've done as well as you could," Molly said with a curt nod. She then eyed her shrewdly. "That still doesn't excuse you're running off without telling me."

Ginny had finally reached the limit of her patience. "For one thing, Kreacher came and took me immediately to Harry, I didn't have a chance to do anything. And secondly, I'm of age and don't need your permission to do anything. Yes if I'd had the time, I would have out of courtesy, said something but the fact remains I didn't. It's not like I did this on a whim, someone was in need of immediate help and it just so happens that I was the only one able to give that help. For Godric's sake, Mum, when are you going to let me grow up?" she railed at her mother.

Molly literally rocked back on her heels at hearing Ginny. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew Ginny was telling the truth. In her mind she still tended to see her daughter as a young first year who had done something foolish and she felt she needed to protect her from all the bad things in the world.

She opened her mouth to protest but Ginny cut her off. "Don't try and deny it. I saw the guilty look flash over your face. I'm twenty, Mum and I'll be Twenty-one in a few weeks. I'm no longer going to put up with it. As soon as I can find a place of my own, I'm moving out and you've got no one to blame but yourself," Ginny said hotly.

"But Ginny . . ." Molly wailed.

"This isn't the time nor place to have this discussion. I've got a very sick friend on my hands. I called you because I know how much you know and thought I could get your help. Obviously I was mistaken," Ginny said sadly.

As Ginny began to withdraw her head, Molly yelled "Wait!"

When Ginny paused and looked at her, she said "I'm sorry, you're right. What can I do to help?"

Ginny's look softened."To tell the truth, I'm not sure. I guess I just want reassurance that I've done okay and if there is something else I can do," she said worriedly.

Molly looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can you take him to St Mungo's?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure," Ginny replied. "Just a moment," she said before her head disappeared for a moment.

When her head reappeared, it was with a sad look. "No, Kreacher said that Harry has set the wards so that he can't be taken through them when he's unconscious," she replied.

Molly nodded slowly, thinking hard. "Well in that case, I think you've done about all you can, except I'd suggest cold compresses and keep dosing him with the teas every four hours," she said thoughtfully.

"Okay, I did forget to tell you I have been using cold compresses," Ginny replied with a wince.

"Has there been any improvement?" her mother asked, showing concern for the first time.

"His temperature has come down a little," Ginny replied with a small smile.

"That's a good sign. Find out from Kreacher if there isn't any way to get around the wards in case he takes a turn for the worse. From what Bill has said there are sometimes protections in place if the owner's life is in jeopardy," Molly said encouragingly.

"Thanks, Mum. I will," Ginny replied with a thin smile.

"And we'll talk about you moving out once you come home," Molly added, but Ginny's head had disappeared and the connection was broken.

Molly sighed and she hoped she'd be able to repair her relationship with her daughter, praying it wasn't too late.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny, with Kreacher's and Winky's help, tended to Harry for the remainder of the day. By late afternoon, Harry's temperature had dropped to 37.9, a vast improvement but still a bit high. His breathing had also eased considerably.

It had been somewhat of a long day but fortunately for Ginny, both Kreacher and Winky spent time with her to keep her from being too bored. Winky had made a light lunch and kept a steady supply of tea coming.

Ginny found it exceeding interesting when Winky had brought her knitting to work on while sitting with her after lunch.

When Ginny had inquired why the little elf was knitting by hand and not using magic, Winky had given her such a patronizing look, saying "Some things be done best by hand."

With an appreciative look at the intricate work Winky was doing, Ginny couldn't help but agree.

At five o'clock, Ginny administered the next doses of the herbal teas. While she was pleased that they seemed to be working well, she was a bit concerned that Harry hadn't regained consciousness.

She had just changed the cold compress on Harry's forehead for what seemed like the thousandth time when Winky appeared from the kitchen.

"Miss Ginny, I has dinner ready. Please go and eat while it still be warm. I will sit and watch over Master Harry," the little elf said.

Ginny smiled at the diminutive elf, she could tell how much she cared about Harry and it wasn't just because he was her master. As she left for the kitchen, Winky sat down with her knitting and began to hum a lullaby.

Ginny found Kreacher waiting in the kitchen for her to join him for dinner. She could also tell how worried and how much he cared for Harry too.

As they began to eat, Ginny could tell that something was bothering Kreacher. At first she thought it was just because of how worried he was about Harry's being ill but as dinner went on, she figured out there was more to it than that.

"Kreacher, something seems to bothering you and I mean more than just Harry being ill. Do you want to talk about it," Ginny finally asked.

Kreacher sat and looked at her for several moments, obviously troubled about something and Ginny could tell he was trying to decide whether to confide in her or not.

She saw his shoulders sag as he slumped down into his chair. "Kreacher has been questioning whether he has done the right thing in trying to help Master Harry," the ancient elf said softly.

"While in many respects it has helped Master, Kreacher is afraid it has woken demons that were better left asleep," he continued, looking very sad.

He glanced up at Ginny and sighed deeply. "The nightmare Master had last night was the worst he has had in many years. In fact he hasn't had one so bad since several months after he defeated his enemy."

"Do you have any idea what makes some of his nightmares so different?" Ginny asked, genuinely concerned.

Kreacher glanced at her briefly before staring down into his lap. "Kreacher is not sure but he has guesses. Several times after his nightmares, Master would let slip some details. It took Kreacher a while to begin to put the pieces together," he explained softly.

"Master's worse nightmares always centre on those Master cares about the most," he whispered, staring at Ginny with troubled eyes. "During the war, before Master finally defeated the Evil One, Master saw many truly horrible things. Kreacher overheard Master several times talking to himself late at night, crying at the injustice and horror of what he had seen. Things no one should see, let alone a young man of sixteen and seventeen."

Hearing that, it tore at Ginny's heart, understanding at least some of what was bothering Harry.

"What do you think triggered him having another one of these really bad nightmares?" she asked, trying to figure everything out.

Kreacher's demeanour became sadder. "Master has begun to care about Mistress Ginny very much," he said, staring into Ginny's eyes.

Ginny gave him a puzzled look, not understanding the connection.

"Kreacher suspects that in Master Harry's nightmares that Master's mind envisions Mistress suffering what he has seen during the war," the elf whispered forlornly.

Suddenly it made sense to her and it about broke her heart. Though she was pleased to hear that Harry was beginning to care for her, it also saddened her that it would add to his burden. She understood Kreacher's doubting his actions in encouraging Harry to break out of his isolation.

"Do you think it would be better if I stop seeing Harry?" Ginny asked with great concern.

"Kreacher doesn't know, Mistress," he replied.

"Well, you've given me a lot to think about," Ginny said sadly, wondering what she should do.

Kreacher nodded slowly as he began to clear the table, not knowing what to say.

Ginny took her tea and went back into the parlour. She smiled softly as she watched Winky humming her soft lullaby.

"I'll take over watching him," she said softly.

Winky smiled at her, gathered her knitting and headed for the kitchen.

Ginny sat down and cast the temperature spell and was pleased to see it had dropped a couple of points.

She knew Kreacher had given her a lot to think about but she was tired and decided that could wait for now.

She rinsed out and replaced the compress, gently running her fingers through his hair as she stared at Harry's face. She couldn't deny that she was drawn to him and she wondered what to do.

She was surprised when as she ran her hand down across his cheek, he leaned into her touch, a small smile forming on his lips. She smiled in return, happy that she was affording his some sense of comfort.

The evening passed slowly, with Winky coming in several times to keep her cup of tea filled.

At nine Winky appeared with the next dose of teas and she helped Ginny administer them.

Once that was done, Ginny looked at Harry laying on the couch and she decided that he'd be better off in his bed.

"Winky, I'm going to levitate Harry to his bed," she said with a small smile. "I think he'll be more comfortable there.

Winky looked at her in surprise. "Please give Winky a few moments to change the linens," she said contritely, before she hurried off.

She reappeared several minutes later from the back hall, carrying a load of rumpled sheet. "Master's bed is ready, Miss," she said as she headed toward the kitchen.

Ginny carefully levitated Harry back to his bedroom, smiling when she saw that Winky had folded the duvet and sheet back, making it easy to get Harry into his bed.

She tenderly tucked him in and decided to lay down next to him, wanting to be nearby if he needed anything, plus she knew that later she'd have to give him another dose of teas.

She kicked off her trainers and lay down, leaving plenty of room between her and Harry's body. Though she hadn't really planned on it, her exhaustion over came her and her eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep.

It was much later when she felt someone gently shake her shoulder. As she opened her eyes groggily, she heard Winky whisper. "It's be time for Master Harry's teas."

It took a moment to orient herself and she blushed when she realized she had rolled over in her sleep and wrapped herself around Harry.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was one o'clock and was indeed time for Harry's next dose. She carefully extricated herself and with Winky's help gave Harry his herbal teas.

After they were done, she gave Winky a shy smile, feeling embarrassed at having been found snuggled against Harry. She opened her mouth to say she hadn't meant to but Winky cut her off.

"Miss is good for Master and Winky can tell that she cares for Master very much and though Master hasn't said so, Master also cares for Miss. Master needs Miss more than Winky can say and Winky hopes that Miss will continue to help Master," the little elf said warmly.

She then smiled at Ginny. "Miss should get changed and get back into bed properly," she said bashfully.

Ginny blushed too and grabbed one of Harry's t-shirts. She headed into the loo to get changed.

When she returned, Winky was gone but had turned down the duvet. She shook her head lightly with a smile and tiredly climbed back into bed, falling asleep in moments.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny awoke slowly, feeling warm and contented. She lay still, eyes still closed as she thought about the previous day and all that had taken place.

She was contemplating everything when she felt movement. She cracked her eyes open and she cringed when she realized she was snuggled into Harry's body once again.

Her eyes popped open when she heard a soft chuckle, glancing up she found herself looking into Harry's emerald eyes that were filled with amusement. It was then that she realized that he had his arm wrapped around her, holding her close.

"Well, you seem to be making a habit of ending up in my bed," Harry said, his eyes dancing, though she could detect an underlying sadness.

Ginny groaned and buried her face into his chest, wondering how she had gotten herself into the situation. Logically, her mind was telling her that she had just laid down with him so she could take care of him during the night if he needed it but her heart was telling her something totally different.

Being honest with herself she knew she was enjoying laying there in Harry's embrace, feeling a warmth and contentment she hadn't experienced since her disastrous first year.

She knew she was drifting into dangerous territory but right at that moment she didn't care.

Gathering herself together, she sighed wistfully. "I really should let Kreacher and Winky know you've regained consciousness."

She felt Harry's arm tighten around her. "Please stay, at least for a little while longer," he said hopefully.

Ginny relaxed back into his side, wondering if she was doing the right thing by staying.

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: So Ginny had to come to Harry's aid once more, ending up in his bed again. Harry seemed pleased she was there, is he finally letting himself welcome Ginny fully into his life? Only time will tell.**

 **As always your reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

6

 **Let My Love Open the Door**

 **Chapter 6**

As Ginny lay snuggled into Harry's side, his arm wrapped loosely around her, she felt her anxiety growing.

She felt Harry move and begin to stroke his hand down through her hair. While she found it quite enjoyable, it only added to her anxiety.

"What's going on between us?" she asked softly.

Harry's hand stilled, the silence hanging between them like some palpable thing.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked, his voice soft and hesitant.

Ginny felt her blood begin to boil. "What kind of bloody question is that?" she snapped.

Feeling Harry flinch, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm sorry I snapped at you but I found your question a bit insulting," she said keeping a tight rein on her anger.

"It's a fairly straight forward question. I mean twice now I've ended up spending the night in bed with you. We've been spending a lot of time together and I don't know about you but I've enjoyed it," Ginny said, her voice carrying just how much his reaction had hurt her.

Harry's mind was in turmoil. He knew that Ginny had every right to be mad at him. Though he tried to deny it, he knew that he had never been happier than he was when he was with her. Well, except for the short time he got to spend with Sirius before he was killed.

But even that wasn't one hundred percent true. Being with Ginny was totally different than what it had been like when he had been with his godfather.

Harry felt the walls he had built around his emotions come crashing down. Ginny had been chipping away at them since the minute he had met her and now they were totally destroyed, something that terrified him more than anything he had ever faced.

Feeling his frustration and discomfort growing, he rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, hunching over, his elbows on his thighs as he grabbed his head, lacing his fingers into his hair, looking like he was going to start pulling it out at any moment.

Ginny felt her heart clench as she took in Harry's posture, the pain and uncertainty plain to see.

"Harry, speak to me," she urged softly and compassionately.

Harry began to slowly shake his head back and forth. "You need to understand I'm in uncharted territory here," he said lowly. "I've never had the kind of relationship you're talking about."

Ginny moved a little closer to hear him better because he was talking so softly.

"I've told you about my talking to Hermione, didn't I?" he asked but then continued without waiting for her to answer. "She was literally the only female my own age that I ever talked to more than five minutes and most of the others I only ever saw once, maybe twice. I was kept hidden away, constantly training, so I have no idea what I'm doing," he said, clearly frustrated but she could also hear his undercurrent of anxiety and fear.

Harry suddenly stood and walked over and stared out the window. "I gave up the idea of ever finding someone years ago. The few times I ventured out after Tom's demise . . . well, let's just say they weren't pleasant experiences," he said sadly.

Ginny was watching him, still sitting on the bed, his face in stark profile as he stared out the window. Its somewhat harsh light catching the tears that were trickling down his cheek.

She saw him take in a ragged breath, blinking his eyes, forcing more tears to flow. "I was mobbed and people were all over me, touching me, running their hands all over me, grabbing my arse and my . . . I felt so dirty and abused," he whispered with a shudder.

Ginny could feel the tears leaving hot trails down her cheeks as she listened to him. She couldn't believe that people would have the nerve to do such things to the young man who had saved them and their world.

Though it explained so much and she silently cursed all the ones who had hurt him so badly.

Harry finally realized there were tears on his cheeks and he hastily brushed them off, glancing embarrassingly toward Ginny to see if she had seen.

"Then there's the fact that everyone I've ever cared about has been taken from me. My parents, Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Dumbledore. All my life whenever I found someone who I cared about, who I loved and they loved me back, they ended up dead," he said, the anguish in his voice so evident that it broke Ginny's heart to hear it.

Harry slowly turned, facing Ginny. His face full of pain and uncertainty. "I find myself second guessing everything, whether I feel like I deserve happiness, that I deserve someone like you in my life."

He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment before looking back up at her, locking his eyes with hers. "I can't help but wonder if you'll disappear from my life too."

Ginny rose slowly, almost as if she thought if she moved too quickly that he would flee. She walked up until she was right in front of him, never breaking eye contact.

"Harry, I can't guarantee I'll always be in your life, no one can do that. People die for the stupidest of reasons, whether it's because they're killed fighting for what is right or they get run over by a lorry," she said softly.

She saw his eyes widen in surprise. "Yes, I know what a lorry is," she said with a thin, wan smile.

"I've learned there aren't any guarantees in life but I do know that somewhere along the line you have to trust that things will turn out for the better. That if you're willing, there will be people there who won't leave but if they do, it's not because they want to. It doesn't mean that they don't love you," she whispered imploringly.

"Like I said, I like you, a lot, maybe more than a lot. I enjoy having you in my life as I hope you enjoy my being in yours, but you need to let me in, take down those walls you've built up around your heart," she softly implored.

She saw a look of hope briefly flicker across his face and his arms jerk up slightly like he was going to wrap them around her. Then just as quickly it was gone and his arms fell back to his sides as his head dropped, breaking eye contact as the look of uncertainty and hopelessness enveloped his features again.

Ginny sighed sadly. For a brief moment she thought she had gotten through to him. Slowly, she leaned up and placed her lips on his, giving him a soft tender kiss.

She felt him flinch but he remained passive, not responding to her kiss. She looked at him sadly for a moment before turning and walking away. Pausing at the doorway she turned back and saw him standing there exactly like he had been, head down, not looking at her.

"The choice is yours, Harry. If you want me in your life, you know where to find me and it needs to be you," she said with a sad sigh.

She watched as he stood unmoving and knowing she'd done all she could, she turned and left.

Harry stood there as still as stone, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts and images. A jumbled mix of memories flashing through his brain. Of being with Sirius sharing a laugh, flying with Ginny, training with Remus, waking up with Ginny snuggled into his side, of Tonks morphing her face and hair to make him smile when he was feeling down and a hundred other memories.

The thing that struck him most was of how Ginny was so prominent in his life recently and all she had done for him.

"I've really bolloxed things up," he whispered to himself sadly as he threw himself onto his bed feeling empty and hollow inside.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny stepped out of the Floo into the Burrow. She gave a wan smile, glad that no one was there to greet her. Though she hadn't eaten anything that morning, she didn't feel hungry so she headed up to her room.

Closing the door, she looked around and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel she was home. The room was like it had always been but it didn't feel like hers any more.

It was a child's room and she knew she didn't belong there any more. She needed to find a place of her own, one that reflected her adult life.

Sitting down on her bed, her eyes wandered the room, stopping now and then on things that caught her attention. Her Quidditch posters, a teddy bear, a couple of hair ribbons hanging on the corner of her mirror, her Gryffindor Prefect's badge. All things from her childhood.

Lastly of all, her eyes fell on the Harry Potter doll that her mother had made for her when she was five. Smiling ruefully, she was more than ever convinced it was time to move out.

She knew her mother wasn't going to be happy but that was just the way it was going to be. It was time to move on with her life.

Her thoughts went to Harry and how she hoped that she'd gotten through to him and that he'd make what she considered the right decision. She also knew she couldn't sit around waiting for him.

Either he'd come to her or he wouldn't. She'd left it up to him and as much as it pained her, she knew she couldn't force the issue.

Coming to a decision, she quickly changed and headed back down stairs. Grabbing her jacket, she planned on heading to the Harpies Stadium. They had a list of flats that were available to let for any of the players and if that didn't pan out she would check with some of the other younger players to see if anyone needed a flatmate.

Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, she heard "You're back."

Turning around she found her mother staring at her.

"How did things go?" Molly asked.

"Okay," Ginny replied lowly.

"Are you okay?" her mother asked, giving her a worried look.

Ginny gave her a small shrug.

Molly gave her daughter a concerned look. "Want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Ginny sighed, not wanting to get into it at the moment. "We'll talk later," she replied dully.

"Where are you going?" Molly asked curtly.

"Out," Ginny replied irritably. "I have some errands to run," she added, feeling slightly bad for being so short with her mother, but she also wanted to get across that she wasn't a child any more and it was time for her mother to finally accept that fact.

Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and left. Once outside she paused and took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an effort to calm herself. It felt so good, she did it again and smiled at how much better it made her feel.

She was taking control of her life, something she realized was long over due. Feeling much better, she made her way to the Apparation point and with a soft pop, she headed for Holyhead.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry wasn't sure how long he lay there in bed and was a bit surprised that neither Kreacher nor Winky came to call him to breakfast. Not that he was hungry. The way he was feeling he would have just sent them away.

Rising, he headed for the loo to take a shower. He felt pretty disgusting and he could tell he had sweated pretty hard.

As he took his shower he thought about Ginny coming over and taking care of him. He was pretty sure that Kreacher had gone and brought her back.

He knew in the past he would have been quite angry with the old elf for defying his orders, though he chuckled softly, realizing the elf had found a way around what he had said.

Harry found he was actually impressed at Kreacher's ingenuity. He had been too specific in his orders, no Madam Pomfrey or a Healer. Well Kreacher hadn't gone and brought back either one.

No, he'd gone and gotten the only person that could get through the wards, Ginny.

It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't even thanked her for coming and taking care of him. It was just one more thing to add to the list of things that showed how much of a berk he had been. It made him wonder what she saw in him.

The one thing he was sure of was it wasn't because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived or any of the other titles he had been cursed with.

Harry turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, drying himself automatically, his thoughts still firmly centred on Ginny.

For the life of him, he couldn't understand what she saw in him. He knew he was socially inept and that was putting it mildly. He wasn't particularly tall or well built. In his stocking feet he was a shade under five foot nine inches and while he had a wiry strength, he certainly wasn't built like the men he saw in the ads in the muggle magazines, with all their muscles and six pack abs.

Then there was his perpetually messy hair that would never lay flat, constantly sticking up at odd angles. On top of that were the numerous scars all over his body, not counting the infamous one on his forehead.

Though they normally didn't show, he knew Ginny had seen him wearing nothing but his boxers. He couldn't understand how she could even look at him.

As he brushed his teeth, he stared at himself in the mirror. While he didn't think he was ugly, he didn't consider himself handsome. To him he had an average face, nothing to look at. Not that anyone usually looked at his face, everyone just stared at his scar.

Sighing, he briefly contemplated shaving but decided not to. Finished, he went back into his bedroom and threw on some clothes, not paying particular attention to what he put on.

Slipping on his Dragon Hide boots, he made his way out into the parlour. Unsurprisingly, it was empty so he headed for the door. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on.

He glanced toward the kitchen but decided not to call Kreacher. He knew he needed to apologize to the elf but didn't feel up to it right then. With a sigh, he opened the door, heading outside to wander the property.

Kreacher heard the door open and he watched forlornly from the shadows as Harry slipped outside. The old elf shook his head sadly, once more wondering if he had done the wrong thing by trying to help his Master and friend.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny flopped down tiredly but she smiled as she looked around her new flat. It wasn't much, two rooms, three if you counted the loo.

She looked back toward the bedroom, where she heard Bill and Percy working on putting her bed together. Yes it was a little smaller than her old bedroom at the Burrow but all of her furniture that she had brought with her fit, even if it was rather crowded.

She looked around the main room, the kitchen to one side, the small table she found in a second hand shop right next to it. The rest of the room was the de-facto parlour, filled with the couch she was sitting on, a couple of squishy arm chairs and a couple of end tables, all purchased at the same second hand shop.

At least the bookcases were from her room at the Burrow as was the linen press.

It wasn't much, the furniture didn't match and the place looked a little worn but it was hers. At least it had a fireplace and in a day or two it would be hooked up to the Floo network.

With a satisfied sigh she rose and headed for the kitchen. "Do either of you want something to drink?" she called out loudly.

"No, I'm good," Percy replied, coming out of the bedroom. "I really need to get going. I'm going out to dinner," he explained sheepishly.

"I'll take a butterbeer," Bill called out from the bedroom.

"Thanks for all your help," Ginny said as she hugged Percy.

"It was nothing," her older brother replied as he awkwardly hugged her back.

"It was something to me," Ginny chided him with a smile.

"Yes . . . well," Percy stammered, his face turning red. "I'm just glad I could help."

He then glanced at his watch, his eyes widening. "I really must get going, I'm going to be late," he said in a near panic.

"Then go," Ginny laughed, "Don't keep her waiting."

"Who . . .who said I'm meeting a girl," Percy asked, his voice rising a couple of octaves.

"Oh, Perce, I know you and you're only this nervous when you're going out with someone new for the first time," Ginny said with a patronizing smile.

Percy blushed, his mouth opening and closing several times before he just shook his head and hurried toward the door.

"I want to meet her," Ginny called out after him, her eyes dancing merrily.

Percy just waved at her over his shoulder as he hurried out the door.

Still chuckling, Ginny went over to the cold box and grabbed two butterbeers. Just as she turned to head to the bedroom, Bill came out.

He smiled when he saw his sister with the butterbeers. "Bless you," he said as he grabbed one and took a large gulp. The temperature was near record high for Holyhead as was the humidity.

Ginny took hers and went back over to the couch and sat down. She took a much smaller sip and sighed contentedly. _"It figures. I decide to move and there's a heat wave,"_ she thought, thinking how wonderful a shower was going to feel.

Bill glanced around, taking in the piles of boxes everywhere. "It's too bad that Fleur couldn't make it today. You two could have made a lot of progress getting everything put away," he said thoughtfully.

Ginny just leaned back and shrugged. "It would have been nice but at least I've got a bed to sleep in tonight. I can unpack tomorrow."

Bill eyed her curiously. "Speaking of beds, when did you get such powerful wards placed on yours?" he asked, arching his eyebrows questioningly.

Ginny looked back at him in surprise. "What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?" she asked irritability.

"You mean you didn't know?" Bill asked incredulously. Then he gave her a mischievous look. "Here I thought you had it done to protect your virtue," he said with a chuckle.

Ginny frowned at him. "If you and Fleur ever wish to have any children, I'd advise you never to mention my virtue again," she said darkly.

Her brother gulped and decided to heed her advice; however he was still curious about the wards.

"Okay, no more mentioning anything about your virtue, I promise, but I'm still curious about the wards. I haven't ever come across anything remotely like them before," he said sincerely.

Ginny was still frowning but not so much at her brother any more. She really had no idea what he was talking about. She was thinking hard and then she remembered what Kreacher had said when he came and got her.

That led her to remember what she had thought what had been a dream. Slowly she began to put the pieces together and the only conclusion she could come up with was that Harry had come and placed the wards around her bed that night.

While at first she tried to deny it, she couldn't help remember Kreacher's explanation about Harry's nightmares, how the worst ones were centred around those he cared about the most and how the elf thought that the one he had had the night he fell sick probably centred on her.

If that were true it would explain why she had smelled the same aroma that she remembered from staying with him the night of the wedding.

It all suddenly made sense. Harry having the nightmare that she had featured in and how that had prompted him to come to the Burrow and place the protective spells on her bed.

" _Yeah, well if I'm so bloody important, why haven't I seen him in over a week?"_ she complained to herself. And she did want to see him. She missed him a lot, not that she was going to tell anyone else that fact.

Bill saw the subtle change in her look but decided not to call her on it. There was something there to be sure but whatever it was, it wasn't a happy memory for her.

"Never mind," he said softly, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a soft squeeze.

"Thanks Bill," Ginny replied, laying her head on his shoulder. Bill had always been there for her, whether it was when she'd skinned her knee when she was a toddler or the summer after her first year at Hogwarts when she needed someone to talk to.

They sat there, both lost in their own thoughts. Bill wondering what his sister was thinking about and Ginny contemplating Harry.

A short time later the clock on the mantle rang out the hour.

Bill gave Ginny one last squeeze. "I really should be going. We wouldn't want Fleur to get worried," he said softly.

Ginny gave a soft sigh and sat up, looking at her brother. "Thanks, Bill," she said with a small smile.

Bill could tell she was thanking him for more than just helping her move. "Any time, Firefly," he said with a grin.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him but secretly she really didn't mind him using his old nickname for her. If anyone else would have done it they'd have been in serious trouble, but from Bill, it only made her love him all that much more.

Ginny followed Bill to the door, giving him a hard hug. "I'll have you and Fleur over for dinner as soon as I finish unpacking," she said, a bit more emotionally than she wanted.

Bill returned her hug just as hard. "We'll be here and don't kill yourself trying to get everything done at one go. We can wait until you're fully settled in," he said warmly.

"I know that but don't think I'm going to slack off. It will be next week at the latest," Ginny said emphatically.

Bill just smiled at her, gave her one more hug, before he Apparated away.

Ginny sighed and closed the door and made her way back over to the couch where she flopped down and sighed. She looked around in satisfaction that she had a place of her own, but the silence was deafening. She was so used to having others always around making some kind of noise.

She got up and after rummaging through a couple of boxes, she found the wireless and placed it on one of the tables near the window. She turned it on and let the soft strains of music fill the room.

It wasn't the same as having people nearby but she thought she'd get used to it and at least it broke the silence and she didn't feel quite so alone.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Kreacher watched his Master with great concern. Ever since the day that Mistress Ginny had left, his Master's condition had deteriorated a little until now he looked almost exactly like he had at the end of the war.

He was barely eating so he had lost a considerable amount of weight. He wasn't hardly sleeping so he had dark bags under his eyes that were also blood-shot and had such a quality of pain in their depths that it was hard to look at them.

And while his hair was messier than ever, it was at least clean, or nearly so. He was also sporting two weeks growth of beard, not having shaved since the day before he fell ill and had his confrontation with Mistress Ginny the next morning.

He barely spoke to either of the elves and never without being spoken to.

Kreacher's eyes tracked Harry as he went to the front door, grabbed a light jacket, put it on and slipped out the door.

The old elf was happy that his Master had grabbed the jacket. Though the day would undoubtedly be quite warm, the predawn air still held a chill.

Already one full week of July had passed without any change in Harry's routine. He would be up before dawn, slip outside and spend the majority of the day wandering the grounds. The only change was if there was rain, then he'd make his way to the gazebo and sit there, barely moving, lost in his own thoughts.

Kreacher knew that it would serve no purpose to go to Mistress Ginny and try to appeal to her. She was just as stubborn as Master was, in some ways more so. Plus Kreacher had heard her telling Master that the choice was his.

Shaking his head, the ancient elf made his way into the kitchen to try and console Winky who was now constantly on the edge of tears because of the way their Master was behaving.

Harry wandered slowly around the edge of the property, his eyes filled with sadness as he remembered every spot where he and Ginny had spoken.

Deep down he knew he was acting irrationally and was being the world's biggest berk, prat, git and yes, he'd admit it, arse.

He knew all he needed to do was go see Ginny and things would get better, probably a whole lot better.

What confounded him the most was that knowing that, he still couldn't force himself to just go and see her. It was that thing that consumed his waking hours, not that he slept much.

The only other thing he thought about was the time she had spent with him. He'd relive every moment that they had shared, going over and over them in his mind.

"You are a barmy git," he whispered out loud.

" _So do something about it,"_ the voice in the back of his head said.

Harry sighed deeply. "After all the time that's passed, I doubt she even wants to see me," he replied sadly.

" _You don't know that for sure,"_ the voice sneered. _"It hasn't even been two weeks."_

He grudgingly admitted that the Voice did know how to count the days since he'd seen Ginny, not that he thought it made that much of a difference.

Harry shook his head once more. "I don't know what she sees in me anyway," he groused lowly.

" _So what. It doesn't matter if you see it or not. She obviously sees something and in the long run, that's all that matters,"_ the voice whispered.

Once again, Harry found himself agreeing with the voice, as much as he didn't want to.

"So what should I do?" he whinged softly.

The voice rolled its eyes at him, something Harry actually found quite amusing. " _Go and see her,"_ the voice stated firmly.

"I'll think about it," Harry replied sadly.

" _That's all you've been doing since she left,"_ the voice said in disgust.

Harry knew the voice was right. That was all he had been doing since he had seen her last. All he needed to do was find the courage to do it.

"I'm a bloody coward," he said, disgusted with himself.

" _Says the one who defeated Tom, saved Her from the Chamber, protected the Stone, along with facing Tom numerous times before you finally rid the world of him,"_ the voice countered disdainfully.

Harry winced. "That's different," he protested feebly.

" _It always is,"_ the voice said, fading away.

Harry sighed, knowing the voice was right, as always. Sometimes he hated the voice but that didn't change the fact that the voice had never lied to him or sent him wrong.

Shaking his head, he continued his slow circuit around the property, thinking hard.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny took one last look at herself in the mirror, liking what she saw. She was heading to the Burrow to celebrate her birthday and for some reason decided to dress up a little.

Instead of her normal jeans and jumper she had chosen to wear a nice blouse, skirt combination and she was pleased at how nice she looked.

It would be the first time she had returned to her childhood home since moving out into her own flat and she hoped everything would go okay.

She knew her brothers and father had accepted her reasons for moving out, the only one that concerned her was her mother. Though they had exchanged a few letters, this would be the first time they met face to face and she just hoped that because it was her birthday that her mother wouldn't raise a fuss.

She smiled as she entered the parlour. It had taken some doing but everything was now unpacked and the place looked and felt like home.

Her smile grew as she remembered the surprised look on Bill's face when he and Fleur had come for dinner. With a couple of pieces of artwork on the walls and all her bits and bobs placed around the room, the place looked totally different than when he had seen it last.

While he could see how happy she was, he could still sense that underlying feeling of sadness. He had resolved not to bring it up but he hoped that Fleur would sense it too and try to get his sister to talk about it.

Dinner was a pleasant affair and Bill was happy with how calm and relaxed his sister was. Moving out obviously agreed with her.

Fleur didn't disappoint him, after dinner they had moved over into the parlour and were enjoying tea along with some pastries when she had asked Ginny what was bothering her.

Ginny had given his wife a surprised look and then sighed. She explained that it was a personal situation and that she'd rather not talk about it.

Fleur had gotten her to admit it had to do with someone special but then left it at that, not wanting to push things too far.

Ginny smiled wanly, thinking about Harry and while she was frustrated, she hadn't given up hope yet.

With a sigh, she went over to the fireplace and Flooed to the Burrow.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry stood staring at himself in the mirror. He had shaved and taken a shower though he gave a rueful chuckle as he looked at his hair. As much as he wished otherwise, it firmly refused his attempts to tame it.

He thought he didn't look half bad, wearing a nice button down deep green shirt, a pair of tan khakis and his dragon hide boots.

"I can do this," he said lowly, staring into his own eyes in the mirror.

He took a deep calming breath and exhaled slowly. Though he was fairly confident he was doing the right thing, that did little to ease the gigantic knot in his stomach.

Deciding he'd stalled long enough, he turned and headed out into the parlour. He hesitated momentarily, glancing toward the kitchen. He knew he'd been unfair to Kreacher and Winky but he knew he couldn't face them right then. If he took the time to talk to them he might lose his nerve.

"It's now or never," he muttered to himself, and taking a deep breath, he Apparated away.

Unseen in the shadows of the kitchen doorway, Kreacher and Winky watched Harry disappear.

"I's hope Master Harry be okay," Winky said worriedly.

"Me's too," Kreacher said softly.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Ginny could hardly believe what a good time she was having. Yes, things had been a little tense when she had popped out of the Floo and found her mother standing nearby.

They had stared at one another for a couple of moments before Molly rushed over and hugged her daughter harder than she'd ever done before.

With tears in her eyes she had begged for Ginny's forgiveness, repeatedly apologizing for being such a bother.

When she had finally let go and stepped back, she had taken a good look at her daughter and smiled, saying "My don't you look wonderful and so grown up."

Ginny figured that was her way of saying that she was trying to see her as an adult, something she greatly appreciated.

After that, everything had gone splendidly. Dinner had been delicious as always and the atmosphere around the table reminded Ginny of when she was a child, with good natured teasing, plenty of funny stories and a wonderful sense of family.

All her brothers and their significant others were there except for Charlie, who couldn't get away from the Dragon Preserve and of course, Fred.

Though he was missed, there was no melancholy associated with the fact he wasn't there and they had all shared multiple stories of their beloved brother.

Everyone was in the process of moving into the parlour so that Ginny could open her presents, leaving Ginny alone with her mother in the kitchen.

Molly was busy putting together a tray with the pot of tea and a multitude of snacks when someone knocked on the back door.

Seeing her mother was occupied, Ginny said, "I'll get it."

Molly glanced at her daughter over her shoulder, giving her a smile before turning her attention back to putting things together.

Ginny was smiling widely as she went and opened the door. She froze in her tracks, staring at who was standing there.

 **Harry and Ginny**

Harry appeared outside the door to the Burrow and stood there for a moment, staring at the door.

Apparating had done nothing good for his protesting stomach and he hoped he didn't vomit. Taking a huge, deep breath, he shakily knocked on the door.

From inside he heard a voice that sent his heart racing, say "I'll get it."

He briefly thought about Apparating away but before he could move, the door opened.

There, standing before him was the one he so wanted to see, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her, even at the wedding.

She stood there frozen, stunned at who she was seeing. It wasn't until her mother asked, "Who is it, Ginny?" that she gathered herself together.

"Harry," she breathed softly.

"Who, dear?" Molly asked, not hearing because of how softly Ginny had spoken.

Ginny ignored her mother, her attention focused solely on the man standing before her. Her heart was racing and she had a hard time keeping from jumping into his arms.

She felt a little giddy and light-headed. She couldn't believe how happy she felt and she hoped that his appearance meant what she wanted it to.

"Please come in," she said with a smile, silently pleading, _"Pleasepleasepleaseplease."_

Harry glanced past her and saw that the table was sent for a large number of people, ten if his count was correct. He gave her a embarrassed look. "It appears that I've interrupted," he said with regret and he turned and began to walk away.

"Ginevra, I asked who was at the door," Molly reprimanded with a scowl.

Ginny glanced at her mother, eyeing her darkly. "Sorry, this is important," she said before she darted out the door after Harry.

"Ginny!" her mother yelled in outrage.

"Harry, stop, please," Ginny begged as she pursued him.

Harry stopped dead and turned around, looking at Ginny in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that she would come running after him.

Ginny ran up to Harry and stopped just short of running into him bodily. She saw the look of surprise in his eyes and she rolled her eyes at him.

Harry couldn't help himself as a small smile formed on his lips.

Ginny eyed him imploringly. "Please come back and join us," she said pleadingly.

When she saw his hesitant look, she added "I would really like it if you would, please." Then she smiled smugly. "It's my birthday and I'd like nothing better than if you would join in celebrating it with me."

Harry winced at her. "I don't have a present," he said apologetically.

Ginny had a hard time fighting a smile, a battle she eventually lost. "I know I'm going to sound corny as hell, but I don't need any present but your company," she said humorously.

She was happy to see a small smile form on his face. "Come on," she said, grabbing onto his arm and giving it a tug.

Harry's smile widened a little as he looked at the beautiful red-headed woman who was leading him back toward the Burrow.

He still found it incomprehensible that she wanted him in her life.

As much as he was beginning to relax and enjoy being with Ginny, there was one thing he felt he really needed to do. So taking a deep breath, he pulled her to a stop right outside of the back door.

Ginny gave him a questioning look, wondering why he looked so concerned. She opened her mouth to ask his what was wrong, but he silenced her by placing a finger on her lips.

Please let me have my say," he said softly.

Ginny could tell that whatever it was, it was very important to Harry, so she nodded her head, signalling him to continue.

Harry took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully. "Ginny, I need to apologize for the way I've been acting. You didn't deserve the way I treated you. You've been nothing but kind to me, probably more so than I deserved. Please forgive me," he said seriously, his eyes locking on hers and pleading silently with her.

Ginny was slightly taken aback by his apology. Yeah if she sat down and thought about it, he'd been a right berk but at the moment she didn't care. He was there and actually came on his own.

However, she could see how important it was to him so she couldn't just brush it off. Taking a calming breath, she held his eyes. "Harry, I know things have been difficult for you. I want you to know that I understand and though I think that you don't really need to apologize, I know that it's important to you, so I accept your apology and that's the last I want to hear about it."

Harry just looked at her stunned for a moment but then a smile slowly grew on his lips. He knew that she did understand and that made him realize just how bloody brilliant she truly was.

"Okay, I promise to never bring it up again," he said softly, though his eyes were shining brightly.

Ginny smiled and gave him a curt nod. She really wanted to kiss him but she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop once she got started and her mother and family were waiting inside, probably not so patiently if what she remembered of how her mother's tone had sounded.

On reflection, she found she really didn't care. All that mattered to her was that Harry had shown up and while they hadn't really talked about anything, the fact he had shown up at all spoke volumes to her.

Bracing herself, she caught his eye and silently tried to tell him to be prepared for just about anything. Receiving a look that she interpreted as one of understanding, she opened the door and led Harry into the kitchen.

They both stopped right inside the door and breathed a sigh of relief, as the room was empty. Their eyes met and both chuckled softly.

Ginny smiled bravely and began to lead him toward the parlour and stopped right inside the door. It took a moment for everyone to notice her and as soon as they did, the room fell silent and she felt a tenseness in the air.

Harry felt exceedingly uncomfortable as everyone stared at Ginny and him and he had to fight the urge to run.

"Everyone, this is my friend Harry. I know some of you know him but not everyone has met him," Ginny announced.

Her eyes met her mother's and though she could tell that her mother wasn't that pleased with her at the moment, she could tell that something important had happened and she was willing to cut Ginny some slack.

She smiled at her mother and received a small nod in return. Something that she was truly grateful for.

Ginny was so pleased when almost everyone greeted Harry warmly.

Bill watched Ginny from across the room as she entered with a young man. He was pretty sure who it was and he put the pieces together about the way she had been acting.

He glanced at Fleur who had a knowing smile on her face. She caught his eye and when Ginny had finished introducing Harry, they were the first to approach the pair.

Bill was having to try really hard not to burst out laughing as he looked at Harry. He may have been the most powerful Wizard alive be he looked like a nervous schoolboy.

Fleur hugged Ginny and whispered something into her ear and though Bill couldn't hear what she said, he thought he knew what it was about by the way they both glanced at Harry and smiled.

When Fleur switched and shook Harry's hand, Bill hugged his sister. "So, everything better now?" he asked with a smirk.

Ginny blushed but couldn't hide her smile as she glanced at Harry. "I think so," she said shyly.

"Well, I hope things work out for you," Bill said sincerely.

"Me too," Ginny said with a grin.

The rest of the evening was a whirlwind of activity for Ginny. She made Harry sit next to her as she opened her presents, and as things went on she felt him relax quite a bit.

She loved that her family was so accepting of Harry, well everyone except Ron, who spent most of the evening scowling in Harry's direction.

Hermione had come over and given him a brief hug but hurried back to Ron to keep him calm.

She was especially appreciative of Bill and Fleur and surprisingly Percy. They all spent quite a bit of time chatting with Harry and making him feel welcome and part of the family.

That's not to say that her mother and father weren't welcoming too. Molly had fussed over Harry just as much as she did over everyone else and her father, while more laid back, did his part in making Harry feel comfortable.

The next thing Ginny knew it was getting rather late. She realized that Ron and Hermione had left quite a while ago, being the first to leave, not that that really surprised her.

Bill was helping Fleur put on her cloak, something she thought was a little odd with it still being quite warm. Then she remembered the discussion she'd had with Bill the day after the wedding and she had jokingly said something about Fleur being pregnant and how Bill had reacted to it.

Though she wasn't showing, somehow Ginny just knew that Fleur was pregnant and she smiled as she watched Bill make a fuss over his wife.

Glancing at the clock she was surprised to see how late it was. "I guess we really should be going and let my parents get to bed," Ginny said reluctantly.

Harry looked at her in surprise. "What's that?" he asked, totally confused.

Ginny smiled at him. "That's right, you don't know."

"I don't know what?" he asked, looking befuddled.

"I've moved," she said with a impish look.

"Oh," Harry said after a moment.

Ginny's look changed and she glanced to her mother who was saying goodbye to Bill and Fleur.

"Please come home with me. I really want to talk to you, you know, about us," she said hesitantly.

It only took a moment for Harry to nod his head. He had come to see her after all and if he was going to be in for a Knut, he might as well be in for a Galleon.

As they rose from the couch he saw Mrs Weasley looking at them, a worried look on her face. Sighing, he knew she was going to be a tough sell because of her youngest son.

He looked at Ginny out of the corner of his eye and taking one look at how beautiful she was, he knew she was worth it.

He was taken by surprise when he and Ginny got to the Floo to find Bill and Fleur still standing there. His surprise was compounded when Bill shook his hand and smiled at him, saying "It was nice seeing you again, Harry."

Then in a move that shocked Harry, he leaned in and stage whispered, "Watch out for this one, she's been known to have quite a temper." A huge smile on his face as he did so.

"Bill/Beel!" Ginny and Fleur cried, with Fleur smacking her husband on the arm.

Ginny was glaring at her brother but after a moment, Harry noticed her eyes were sparkling with amusement and the corners of her mouth were twitching as she fought smiling.

"I'll have to remember that," he replied drolly, watching as Bill acted like his arm was severely injured. He also noticed the Weasley matriarch looking back and forth between her son and daughter and appeared as if she wasn't sure about them.

Then things were interrupted by Arthur coming over and shaking his hand too. His eyes were dancing and he was fighting a smile miserably, his sides shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Yes, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you and I hope we see a lot more of you," he said jovially, glancing at his daughter.

It had been apparent to Harry that while the man loved his sons he had a special spot in his heart for his only daughter.

"It was a pleasure to meet you and your family," Harry replied with genuine happiness.

As he let go of Harry's hand, his place was taken by Molly who hugged him so hard he let out a whoosh of air, as he was taken by surprise by its intensity.

"Mum," Ginny cried out, while everyone else chuckled.

"Sorry, dear," she apologized contritely, giving him a concerned look.

"It's fine," Harry replied, once he got his breath back.

He saw Ginny giving him a half concerned, half amused look and he smiled at her to let her know he really was okay with everything.

Ginny gave her parents quick hugs and pecks on the cheek before she grabbed Harry by the arm and tossed the Floo powder into the grate, calling out "Ginny's Place," before hauling him into the green flames.

To Harry it seemed they were spinning forever before they popped out into Ginny's small flat and he knew he would have fallen over if she hadn't had a firm grip on his arm.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked in concern as Harry blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to regain his equilibrium.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, glancing at her. "I'm just not used to using the Floo. Never did get the hang of it. I always seemed to end up on my arse and was extremely happy when I learned to Apparate."

Ginny gave him an understanding smile, though he could see she was trying to hide her amusement.

"Why don't you sit down while I make us some tea," she said, giving him a soft shove toward the couch.

Harry glanced at the couch but ended up following her to the kitchen. He stood next to the table, watching her as she puttered around, gathering everything to make the tea.

It took a couple of moments before she noticed him standing there and she smiled warmly at him.

Harry blushed but held her gaze, enjoying watching her, once more taken by her beauty.

It didn't long before she had everything ready and she picked up the tray and walked toward him. She smiled when Harry took the tray from her hands and led him to the couch.

As Ginny served, they kept exchanging glances accompanied by small smiles.

Once they had both taken a couple of sips of their tea and had a few biscuits, Ginny's look turned more contemplative and serious and they began to talk.

And talk they did. First discussing what each had gone through while they weren't seeing one another and then moving on to other aspects of their relationship.

That led to them telling one another things they had never told anyone else. All through it Harry found a sense of peace descending on him that he had never experienced before and he realized he was absolutely arse over kettle in love with the beautiful woman sitting next to him.

It wasn't until the soft light of the coming dawn that they wound down. The tea and biscuits were long gone, and they ended up just staring at one another.

With a contented sigh, Ginny rose with Harry following suit.

"I guess I should be going," he said reluctantly.

Ginny just rolled her eyes at him and shook her head indulgently. "Harry, I've spent several nights in your bed, I think it's okay if you join me in mine," she said, taking his hand and leading him toward her bedroom.

Once there she gave him a pointed look and he started to unbutton his shirt. He froze when Ginny unabashedly started to undress, though she did turn her back as she removed her blouse and bra and slipped out of her skirt.

Harry stood there mesmerized as he took in the wide expanse of creamy pale skin of her back and it wasn't until she slipped on a Harpies tee shirt that he moved once more.

Ginny smiled at him while she turned down the bed covers and he finished stripping down to his boxers.

She climbed into bed and when he stood there transfixed, watching her, she patted the bed beside her, fighting a grin that she couldn't hide.

Needing no further prompting, Harry crawled into bed next to her. Ginny ignored all pretexts and immediately snuggled into his side. Smiling, she reached up and caressed his cheek.

Harry felt the last of his barriers shatter as he stared into her eyes and tears began to fill his eyes.

Ginny gave him a quizzical look, slightly concerned by his reaction.

Harry smiled through his tears. "I love you," he whispered huskily. "And I can't imagine my life without you in it."

Ginny smiled ecstatically. "I love you too," she whispered, her eyes filled with her happiness. Then she gave him an impish grin. "Don't you think it's time you kissed me then?" she asked humorously.

Harry chuckled before leaning in and kissing her. It far surpassed anything he could have imagined.

It seemed like they could have kissed forever but then Ginny yawned mightily. Giggling she snuggled into his side, "We'll continue this in the morning," she said sleepily.

Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side a little tighter. His last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that he hadn't expected what had happened when she came and escorted him to Ron's and Hermione's wedding, opening a door to a whole new life but he wouldn't change it for anything even if he could.

 **Harry and Ginny**

 **A/N: Thus ends the story though in reality it is just the beginning of Harry's and Ginny's life together. I hope it met with your approval.**

 **I want at this time to once again thank Stephanie O for her brilliant work as my Beta on this story. Her help has been invaluable.**

 **I also want to give a thank you to** **Sorcerer's Muse** **for the brilliant idea of not having Harry and Ginny kiss until the very end of the story. I borrowed it from her wonderful Story** **Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not?** **If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do so. I don't consider Ginny's kissing Harry a true kiss as Harry didn't respond to it.**

 **As always, your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.**


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